Walking TourWalking on Hampstead Heath

Sprawling Hampstead Heath, with its rolling woods and meadows, feels a million miles away – despite being approximately four – from central London. Covering 320 hectares, it’s home to about 180 bird species, 23 species of butterflies, grass snakes, bats, a rich array of flora and expansive views from the top of Parliament Hill. North Londoners adore this vast green expanse and it’s particularly busy with families, dog walkers and picnickers.

Getting There

t Hampstead station is on the Northern Line. For Highgate Cemetery, get off at Archway (Northern Line).

L Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak are at the heath’s south end.

1 Explore the Local Cemetery

The final resting place of Karl Marx, George Eliot and Russian secret service agent Alexander Litvinenko (the latter poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in 2006), Highgate Cemetery (www.highgatecemetery.org; adult/child £4/free; h10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun) is divided into East and West. To visit the atmospheric West Cemetery, you must take a tour.

2 Parliament Hill

From the cemetery head down Swain’s Lane to the Highgate West Hill roundabout and climb to Parliament Hill for all-inclusive views south over town. Londoners adore picnicking here – choose your spot, tuck into some sandwiches and feast on the superb vistas. If the weather is warm, you could even swim at the Hampstead Heath Ponds (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk; adult/child £2/1; tHampstead Heath) (open year-round, lifeguard-supervised).

3 Visit Kenwood

Traverse the heath to the magnificent neoclassical 18th-century Kenwood (www.english-heritage.org.uk; Hampstead Lane, NW3; admission free; h10am-4pm) in a glorious sweep of perfectly landscaped gardens leading down to a picturesque lake. The house contains a magnificent collection of art, including paintings by Rembrandt, Constable and Turner. Seek out the Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth sculptures in the grounds, too.

4 Rest at the Spaniard’s Inn

At the heath’s edge is this marvellous 1585 tavern, where Byron, Shelley, Keats and Dickens all paused for a tipple. Once a toll house, the Spaniard’s Inn (www.thespaniardshampstead.co.uk; hnoon-11pm) has kept its historic charm – wood panelling, jumbled interior and hearty welcome – and is hugely popular with dog walkers, families and other park revellers on weekends.

5 Mooch around Hampstead

After a restorative pint at the Spaniard’s Inn, take bus 210 to Jack Straw’s Castle stop and walk down to the historic neighbourhood of Hampstead, a delightful corner of London. Loved by artists in the interwar years, it has retained a bohemian feel, with sumptuous houses, leafy streets, cafes and lovely boutiques. Try Exclusivo (2 Flask Walk, NW3; h10.30am-6pm) for top-quality, secondhand designer garments.

6 Dinner at the Stag

Finish your day with a stroll down to the Stag (www.thestagnw3.com; mains £9-17.50; hnoon-11pm), a fine gastropub where you’ll be rewarded with delicious British fare. The beef and ale pie is one of a kind and the desserts are stellar. The wine and beer selection will ensure you’re in no rush to go home.