Regent’s Park and Hampstead

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Getting Oriented | Regent’s Park | Hampstead

Updated by Jack Jewers

As civilized as a Gainsborough landscape, Regent’s Park and Hampstead contain some of the prettiest and most aristocratic architecture that London has to offer. The city becomes noticeably calmer and greener as you head north from Oxford Street, past the newly chic shopping streets of Marylebone and immensely regal mansions that encircle Regent’s Park, up to the well-tended lawns of Primrose Hill and the handsome Georgian streets of Hampstead. All in all, this area will provide a taste of how laid-back (moneyed) Londoners can be.

Getting Oriented

Top Reasons to Go

Ramble across Hampstead Heath: Londoners adore the Heath for its wild, unkempt beauty—and the unparalleled views across the city.

Find your inner muse at Keats House: Stroll through the very garden where the great Romantic sat while writing “Ode to a Nightingale.”

Marvel at London’s grandest Regency terraces: With their Wedgwood-blue pediments, snow-white statuary, and porticos of Ionic columns, Nash’s 18th-century mansions make a splendid backdrop for Regent’s Park.

Strawberry Beatles Forever!: For countless Beatlemaniacs and baby boomers, a visit to No. 3 Abbey Road is an unforgettable experience.

Speak Parseltongue at the London Zoo: Harry Potter fans may recognize the snakes in the reptile house, but the zoo’s waddling penguins steal the animal spotlight here.

Feeling Peckish?

Ginger and White.
This is a delightful fusion of continental-style café and traditional British coffee shop. | 4 Perrins Ct., Hampstead | NW3 1QS | 020/7431–9098 | www.gingerandwhite.com | Station: Hampstead.

Marine Ices.
This place has some of London’s best ice cream, while the indoor Italian restaurant section lures diners. | 8 Haverstock Hill, Camden Town | NW3 2BL | 020/7482–9003 | www.marineices.co.uk | Station: Chalk Farm.

Safety

It’s best to stay out of Hampstead Heath and Regent’s Park proper at night unless there’s an event taking place; both are perfectly safe during the day. Also to be avoided after dark: the canal towpath in Camden.

Getting There

Reaching Hampstead by Tube is as easy as it looks: Simply take the Edgware branch of the Northern line to Hampstead station, or the overground North London line to Hampstead Heath. The south side of Hampstead Heath can also be reached by the Gospel Oak station on the North London line. To get to Regent’s Park, take the Bakerloo line to Regent’s Park Tube station or, for Primrose Hill, the Chalk Farm stop on the Northern line.

Making the Most of Your Time

Depending on your pace and inclination, Regent’s Park and Hampstead can realistically be covered in a day. It might be best to spend the morning in Hampstead, with at least a brief foray onto the Heath, then head south to Regent’s Park in the afternoon so that you’re closer to central London come nightfall, if that is where your hotel is located. If you have time, you may want to return to Hampstead another day for a longer walk across the Heath.

A Good Walk

These are two of the most walkable districts in London. Everything from Hampstead “village” to Regent’s Park (and its outlying terraced streets) is best explored on foot—even Hampstead Heath has marked footpaths.

Regent’s Park

Regent’s Park, the youngest of London’s great parks, was laid out in 1812 by John Nash, working, as ever, for his patron, the Prince Regent (hence the name), who was crowned George IV in 1820. Framed by gloriously stylish Regency mansions, the park is home to many attractions, including the London Zoo and the summer display of prize roses in Queen Mary’s Gardens.

The well-worn, but entirely accurate cliché about the enclaves north of Regent’s Park (Primrose Hill and Hampstead) is that several of the residents claim to be artists—and yet the cost of a coffee at a café along Regent’s Park Road will run you as much as, if not more than, one in central London. In the last decade, real estate prices here have skyrocketed, and the elephants of London Zoo now count some of the best-dressed folks in town (Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna) as their neighbors.

A Brief History

When John Nash, the great architect of Regency style, laid out Regent’s Park in 1812, the idea was to re-create the feel of a grand country residence close to the center of town. No genuine palace was built but almost something far grander: a series of magnificent white-stucco terrace “houses,” many combined under one extra-ornamental pediment, as if part of a gigantic Grecian temple. As you walk “the Outer Circle,” you’ll see how successfully Nash’s plans were carried out, especially as you walk past the most famous of his Regent’s Park creations, Cumberland Terrace, replete with a central block of Ionic columns surmounted by a triangular Wedgewood-blue pediment and giant statuary personifying Britannia and her empire. Nearby is Chester Terrace, an entire street designed by Nash and the ultimate in architectural good breeding.

In the early 18th century, the commercial development of the mineral springs in Hampstead led to its success as a spa; people traveled from miles around to drink the pure waters from Hampstead Wells, and small cottages were hastily built to accommodate the influx. Though the spa phenomenon was short-lived, Hampstead remained a favorite place for many artistic figures whose legacies still mark the landscape as much as they permeate the culture.

A livelier, cooler vibe prevails at Camden Market, a magnet for dedicated followers of fashion. The southeastern exit of the park is just around the corner from two of London’s most traditional tourist destinations, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and Madame Tussauds.

The 410-acre expanse of Regent’s Park loosely connects several London districts—most of which are shadowed, like contrasts on a Monopoly board, by less salubrious versions of themselves. To the west of the park, Paddington (famous for a station, a bear, and not much else) is rather grimy and run-down; but nearby Little Venice is a bohemian oasis of undiscovered beauty and character. To the north of the park lies leafy Primrose Hill, one of the city’s most upscale districts; and cool-by-day, dodgy-after-dark Camden. Also northwards is gorgeous Hampstead, the ultimate London “village,” with its wild Heath and lolloping hills, which segue alarmingly soon into Kilburn, an unloved residential district good for little but passing through quickly. Farther north of Hampstead are two London curiosities: Highgate, another upscale ’hood famous for its magnificent Gothic cemetery, and Golder’s Green, the closest the city gets to a proper Jewish quarter.

Regent’s Park

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Top Attractions

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | London Zoo.
Owned by the Zoological Society of London (a charity), the zoo opened in 1828. A recent modernization program has seen the introduction of several big attractions, with a focus on wildlife conservation, education, and the breeding of endangered species. The huge BUGS pavilion (Biodiversity Underpinning Global Survival) is a self-sustaining, contained ecosystem with 140 species of exotic plants, animals, and creepy-crawlies. At Gorilla Kingdom you can watch the four residents—Effie, Kesho, Jookie, and Zaire—at close range. Rainforest Life is a recreated nighttime rainforest environment, home to tiny marmosets and other rain-forest-dwelling creatures, including bats. The new Children’s Zoo allows kids to see a host of unusual creatures up close, including aardvarks and mongooses. It also contains play areas and a petting zoo. The state-of-the-art Penguin Beach is the most popular place in the zoo at 11:30, when the penguins receive their main feed—or you could try and nab one of the six VIP tickets for 2 pm that allow guided access to the enclosure, where you get close enough to actually stroke the placid creatures; tickets are £25 weekdays, £40 weekend and demand is high. Other zoo highlights include the Butterfly Paradise; the Blackburn Pavilion, with its hundreds of tropical bird species; and the Big Cats enclosure, home to a pack of lions and a pair of beautiful Sumatran tigers. TIP Check the website or the information board out front for free events, including creature close encounters and “ask the keeper” sessions. | Outer Circle, Regent’s Park | NW1 4RY | 020/7722–3333 | www.zsl.org | £20 | Mid-Nov.–Feb., daily 10–4; Mar.–early Sept., daily 10–6; early-Sept.–Oct., daily 10–5:30; early–mid-Nov., daily 10–4:30; last admission 1 hr before closing | Station: Camden Town, then Bus 274.

FAMILY | Regent’s Park.
Cultivated and formal, compared with the relative wildness of Hampstead Heath, Regent’s Park was laid out in 1812 by John Nash in honor of the Prince Regent, who was later crowned George IV. The idea was to re-create the feel of a grand country residence close to the center of town. Most of Nash’s plans were carried out successfully, although the focus of it all—a palace for the prince—was never built. Now the park is a favorite destination for sporty types and dog owners. Not for nothing did Dodie Smith set her novel A Hundred and One Dalmatians in an Outer Circle house. (Nearby, along East Heath Road, is the Gothic manse that inspired Cruella DeVil’s Hell Hall.)

Regent’s Park Highlights

The most famous and impressive of Nash’s white-stucco terraces facing the park, Cumberland Terrace has a central block of Ionic columns surmounted by a triangular Wedgwood-blue pediment that looks like a giant cameo. The noted architectural historian Sir John Summerson described it as “easily the most breathtaking architectural panorama in London.”

The Broad Walk is a good vantage point from which to glimpse the minaret and the golden dome of the London Central Mosque on the far west side of the park. As in all London parks, planting here is planned with the aim of having something in bloom in all seasons, but if you hit the park in summer, head first to the Inner Circle. Your nostrils should lead you to Queen Mary’s Gardens, a fragrant 17-acre circle that riots with 400 different varieties of roses in summer.

Regent’s Park Tips

Marylebone Rd., Regent’s Park | NW1 4NR | 0300/061–2000 | www.royalparks.gov.uk | Free | 5 am–dusk.

Regent’s Park Boating Lake. You can spend a vigorous afternoon rowing about Regent’s Park Boating Lake, where rowboats hold up to five adults and cost £7.50 per hour per person. On weekends and school holidays, children under 12 can take to the waters on a smaller lake, where paddleboat rentals are £3 per 20 minutes per child. Times vary with seasons and weather. | 020/7724–4069 | Station: Baker St., Regent’s Park, Great Portland St.

Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Outside Baker Street station, by the Marylebone Road exit, is a 9-foot-high bronze statue of the celebrated detective. Nearby is number 221B Baker Street—the address of Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective. Inside, Mrs. Hudson, “Holmes’s housekeeper,” conducts you into a series of Victorian rooms full of Sherlock-abilia. There are more than enough photo ops, and it’s all carried off with such genuine enthusiasm that you almost believe that the fictional detective really lived here. | 221B Baker St., Regent’s Park | NW1 6XE | 020/7224–3688 | www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk | £6 | Daily 9:30–6 | Station: Baker St.

Worth Noting

Camden Market.
What started as a small group of clothing stalls in the 1970s has since grown into one of London’s biggest (and most crowded) tourist attractions. Centered on the Grand Union Canal, this isn’t actually a single market, but a vast honeycomb of them that sell crafts, clothing (vintage, ethnic, and young designer), antiques, and just about everything in between. Here, especially on weekends, the crowds are dense, young, and relentless, with as many as 100,000 visitors on the busiest days. Camden Lock Market specializes in crafts; Camden Stables Market is popular with Goth kids and aspiring rock stars. TIP Print out the (appropriately psychedelic) map of Camden Market from the website before coming; it’s super helpful for first-time visitors. | Camden High St., Camden Town | NW1 8AH | www.camdenmarkets.org | Daily 10–6 (some stalls close 5:30) | Station: Camden Town, Chalk Farm.

Electric Ballroom. A nightclub that doubles as a retro/designer fashion and music market on weekends, the Electric Ballroom has been a scuzzy, dilapidated, wild, and wonderful Camden institution for decades. On a half dozen or so dates per year it also plays host to the busy Camden Film Fair, beloved of collectors and old-school cult movie enthusiasts. | 184 Camden High St., Camden Town | NW1 8QP | 020/7485–9006 | www.electricballroom.co.uk.

Hawley Arms Pub. Just around the corner, the Hawley Arms Pub gained fame as a hangout for celebrities such as Kate Moss and the late Amy Winehouse. It’s a good spot for an inexpensive pub lunch. | 2 Castlehaven Rd., Camden Town | NW1 8QU | 020/7428–5979 | www.thehawleyarms.co.uk.

Quick Bites: You will not go hungry in Camden Town, with its countless cafés, bars, and pubs, plus appealing restaurants at all price points on Parkway. Within the market at Camden Lock there are various stalls selling the usual hot dogs and burgers, but you can also find good value at the stalls selling ethnic food if you don’t mind standing as you eat outdoors, or perching on a canal-side bench.

Jewish Museum.
This fascinating museum on the history of the Jewish people in British contains precious little from before the 17th century–and with good reason. Judaism was outlawed in England for almost four centuries, until the Jews were finally allowed to settle once more in 1656. “History: A British Story” provides a general overview of this and other facets of the Jewish story in Britain over the centuries, through a mix of rare artifacts and interactive displays. The Holocaust Gallery features the incredible story of Leon Greenman (1910–2008), a British Jew who survived six concentration camps, including Auschwitz, to become a prominent anti-racism campaigner. Other highlights include a recreation of a street from the Victorian-era Jewish quarter of London’s East End. TIP There’s a free overview of the collection on the ground floor, including a medieval mikveh (ritual bath), excavated a few miles from here in 2001. | Raymond Burton House,129–131 Albert St., Camden Town | NW1 7NB | 020/7284–7384 | www.jewishmuseum.org.uk | £7.50 | Sun.–Thurs. 10–5, Fri. 10–2; last admission 30 min before closing. Closed on major Jewish festivals | Station: Camden Town.

Lord’s Cricket Ground & Museum.
If you can’t manage to lay your hands on tickets for a cricket match, the next best thing is to take a tour of the spiritual home of this most English of games. Founded by Thomas Lord, the headquarters of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) opens its “behind the scenes” areas to visitors. You can see the Long Room with cricketing art on display; the players’ dressing rooms; and the world’s oldest sporting museum, where the progress from gentlemanly village-green game to worldwide sport over 400 years is charted. Don’t miss the prize exhibit: the urn containing the sport’s most iconic trophy, the Ashes—the remains of a cricket bail (part of the wicket assembly) presented to the English captain in 1883, a jokey allusion to a newspaper’s premature obituary for the death of English cricket published after the home team’s defeat by Australia. The two nations still play for possession of the Ashes every two years, though only a replica actually changes hands these days. Tours are not available during major matches (it’s offered during smaller “county” matches), but the museum remains open to match ticket holders. | St. John’s Wood Rd., St. John’s Wood | NW8 8QN | 020/7616–8595 | www.lords.org | £15. Museum only, £7.50 match days | Museum Mon.–Fri. 10–5 (hours vary on match days, call to confirm). Tours Apr.–Oct., daily 10–5, except during major matches; Nov.–Mar., weekdays 10, 11, noon, and 2 (no 10 am tour, Jan.–Mar.), weekends 10, 11, noon, 1, and 2. | Station: St. John’s Wood.

FAMILY | Madame Tussauds.
One of London’s busiest tourist attractions, this is nothing less—but also nothing more—than the world’s most famous exhibition of lifelike waxwork models of celebrities. Madame T. learned her craft while making death masks of French Revolution victims, and in 1835 she set up her first show of the famous ones near this spot. Top billing still goes to the murderers in the Chamber of Horrors, who stare glassy-eyed at visitors—one from an electric chair, one sitting next to the tin bath where he dissolved several wives in quicklime. What, aside from ghoulish prurience, makes people stand in line to invest in one of London’s most expensive museum tickets? It must be the thrill of all those photo opportunities with royalty, Hollywood stars, and world leaders—all in a single day. TIP Beat the crowds by booking timed entry tickets in advance. You can also buy non-dated, “priority access” tickets via the website (at a premium). | Marylebone Rd., Regent’s Park | NW1 5LR | 0870/400–3000 for timed entry tickets | www.madame-tussauds.com | £15–£35 according to time; call or check website. Combination ticket with London Eye, London Dungeons, and London Aquarium £35–£57. | Early Apr. and mid-July–Aug., daily 9–7; Sept.–Mar. and mid-Apr.–mid-July, weekdays 9–5:30 (last admission), weekends 9:30–6 (last admission) | Station: Baker St.

Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre.
The theater has mounted productions of Shakespeare every summer since 1932; everyone from Vivien Leigh to Jeremy Irons has performed here. Today it also hosts other plays, musicals, concerts, and comedy shows. However, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the one to catch, if it’s on—never is that enchanted Greek wood more lifelike than it is here, enhanced by genuine birdsong and a rising moon. You can buy light suppers or choose from a (somewhat limited) barbecue selection in the evening, or prebook a picnic lunch for matinees. The park can get chilly, so bring a blanket; only very heavy rain stops the plays, in which case you can exchange your ticket (umbrellas aren’t allowed during performances). | Inner Circle, Regent’s Park | NW1 4NR | 0844/826–4242 tickets, 0844/375–3460 enquiries | www.openairtheatre.org | £15–£45 | June–mid-Sept., evening performances at 8, matinees at 2:30 | Station: Baker St., Regent’s Park.

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
An art deco gem in elegant Portland Place, RIBA was built by Grey Wornum in 1934. Its distinctive Portland stone facade stands out amid the surrounding 18th-century mansions, and large bronze doors lead to a spacious lobby with a wide marble staircase. There are exhibition spaces; regular lectures and special events; a huge bookshop; and a delightful art deco café. Guided tours of the building take place on the last Tuesday of every month. Places are free, but offered on a first-come-first-served basis (groups of five or more have to book). | 66 Portland Pl., Regent’s Park | W1B 1AD | 0207/580–5533 | www.architecture.com | Free | Mon.–Sat., 10–5 | Station: Regent’s Park, Great Portland St.

Quick Bites: RIBA Café & Restaurant.
Dine in art deco splendor at the RIBA Café & Restaurant on the first floor of the Royal Institute of British Architects. The café serves excellent sandwiches and light meals, and the restaurant offers more-substantial modern European fare. There’s a half-covered terrace for alfresco dining in fine weather. | 66 Portland Pl., Regent’s Park | W1B 1AD | 020/7307–3747 | www.architecture.com | Station: Regent’s Park, Great Portland St.

Hampstead

John Keats (1795–1821) lived in Hampstead as a virtual pauper; you’ll find Keats House, where the poet wrote his most famous work, among the homes of artistic types who these days are more likely to be millionaire film stars or musicians. However, this neighborhood still retains a gorgeously bohemian vibe, which all but shimmers through the moneyed haze of swank boutiques and artisanal food stores. Perhaps it’s something to do with the high concentration of wonderful, atmospheric pubs. Also hidden among Hampstead’s winding streets are Fenton House, a Georgian town house with a lovely walled garden, and Kenwood House, with its remarkable art collection.

Overlooking it all is Hampstead Heath (known locally as just “The Heath”), a huge, wild urban park with great views across London—although Primrose Hill has perhaps the most spectacular view you can find without getting onto the London Eye.

Hampstead

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Top Attractions

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Hampstead Heath.
For an escape from the ordered prettiness of Hampstead, head to the Heath—a unique remnant of London’s pre-industrial countryside, with habitats ranging from wide grasslands to ancient woodlands spread over some 791 acres. Parliament Hill, one of the highest points in London, offers a stunning panorama over the city. There are signposted paths, but these can be confusing, so pick up a map at Kenwood House, or the Education Centre near the Lido off Gordon House Road, where you can also get details about the history of the Heath and the flora and fauna growing there. An excellent café near the Athletics Field offers light refreshment under the trees. | Hampstead | 020/7482–7073 Heath Education Centre | www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/hampstead | Free | Station: Gospel Oak, Hampstead Heath for south of Heath; Hampstead for east of Heath; Golders Green, then Bus 210, 268 to Whitestone Pond for north and west of Heath.

Pubs with a Past

Hampstead has some of the most storied pubs in London—although a few have distinctly shady pasts.

Holly Bush.
Tucked away down the lolloping hills and leafy sideroads of old Hampstead is this gorgeously unspoiled old pub, built in 1807. The dim, cozy interior has an open fireplace and wooden booths. The classic British food is excellent; take it in the bar with a pint, or in the rather swankier dining room. | 22 Holly Mount, Hampstead | NW3 6SG | 020/7435–2892 | hollybushhampstead.co.uk | Station: Hampstead.

Magdala.
Meanwhile, a much sadder tale is associated with the Magdala, the site of a notorious murder in 1955 for which Ruth Ellis was the last woman in Britain to be hanged. It’s a sedate place these days (though weekly events include comedy, quiz, and poetry nights), but the famous bullet holes near the door have been left untouched. | 2A South Hill Park, Hampstead | NW3 2SB | 020/7435–2503 | the-magdala.com | Station: Hampstead Heath.

Spaniard’s Inn.
The legendary highwayman Dick Turpin is said to have been born at the Spaniard’s Inn, which was once frequented by the likes of Dickens, Shelley, and Stoker. The owners will happily tell you how the latter borrowed one of their many resident ghost stories to furnish the plot of Dracula. After a few hours in this atmospheric spot, you might even believe it. | Spaniards Rd., Hampstead | NW3 7JJ | 020/8731–8406 | www.thespaniardshampstead.co.uk | Station: Golders Green, then Bus 210, 268 to Whitestone Pond.

Wells.
A plaque outside this Georgian pub delicately informs visitors that it was originally built to provide “facilities for the celebration of unpremeditated and clandestine marriages.” These days the spot is far better known as one of the finest gastropubs in the area. | 30 Well Walk, Hampstead | NW3 1BX | 020/7794–3785 | www.thewellshampstead.co.uk | Station: Hampstead.

Highgate Cemetery.
Highgate is not the oldest cemetery in London, but it is probably the best known. After it was consecrated in 1839, Victorians came from miles around to appreciate the ornate headstones, the impressive tombs, and the view. Such was its popularity that 19 acres on the other side of the road were acquired in 1850, and this additional East Cemetery contains what may be the most visited grave—of Karl Marx (1818–83)—and those of a host of other famous names, including George Eliot (1819–80) and Malcolm McLaren (1946–2010). At the summit is the Circle of Lebanon, a ring of vaults built around an ancient cypress tree—a legacy of 17th-century gardens that occupied the site. Leading from the circle is the Egyptian Avenue, a subterranean stone tunnel lined with catacombs, itself approached by a dramatic colonnade that screens the main cemetery from the road. Both sides are impressive, with a grand (locked) iron gate leading to a sweeping courtyard built for the approach of horses and carriages. By the 1970s the cemetery had become unkempt and neglected until a group of volunteers, the Friends of Highgate Cemetery, undertook the huge upkeep. Tours are arranged by the Friends, and they will show you the most notable graves among the huge variety of statues and memorials once hidden by overgrowth. East side tours are limited to 15 and tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The west side is accessible only by tour, though these can be booked ahead. You’re expected to dress respectfully, though in practice this just means erring on the conservative side. TIP Children under eight are not admitted; nor are dogs, tripods, or video cameras. | Swains La., Highgate | N6 6PJ | 020/8340–1834 | www.highgate-cemetery.org | East Cemetery £3, tours £7; West Cemetery tours £7. No credit cards | Daily; usually Apr.–Oct. 10–5, Nov.–Mar. 10–3:30, but call ahead as hrs vary according to whether a funeral service is scheduled. East Cemetery tours, Sat. 2. West Cemetery tours, Mar.–Nov., weekdays 1:45, weekends hourly 11–3 | Station: Archway, then Bus 210, 271, or 143 to Highgate Village.

Keats House.
It was in February 1820 that John Keats (1795–1821) coughed blood up into his handkerchief and exclaimed, “That drop of blood is my death warrant. I must die.” He duly left his beloved home in Hampstead and moved to Rome, where he died of consumption, at just 25. Here you can see the plum tree under which the young Romantic poet composed Ode to a Nightingale; many of his original manuscripts; his library; and other possessions he managed to acquire in his short life. There are frequent guided tours and special events, such as poetry readings. The house has been restored to its original Regency style of decoration, and the design of the gardens is inspired by elements of Keats’ poetry, such as “autumn” and “nightingale.” The ticket gives you entry for a full year, so you can come back as often as you like. TIP Picnics can be taken into the grounds during the summer. | Wentworth Pl., Keats Grove, Hampstead | NW3 2RR | 020/7332–3868 | www.keatshouse.cityoflondon.gov.uk | £5 | Apr.–Oct., Tues.–Sun. 1–5; Nov.–Mar., Fri.–Sun. 1–5; closed Good Friday and Christmas wk | Station: Hampstead; North London Line overground: Hampstead Heath from Highbury & Islington.

FAMILY | Kenwood House.
This gracious Georgian villa was first built in 1616 and remodeled by Robert Adam between 1764 and 1779. Adam refaced most of the exterior and added the splendid library, which, with its curved painted ceiling and gilded detail, is the highlight of the house for lovers of the decorative arts and interior design. Kenwood is also home to the Iveagh Bequest, an extraordinary collection of paintings that the Earl of Iveagh gave the nation in 1927, including a wonderful self-portrait by Rembrandt and works by Reynolds, Van Dyck, Hals, Gainsborough, and Turner. Most iconic amongst them is Vermeer’s Guitar Player, considered by many to be among the most beautiful paintings in the world. In front of the house, a graceful lawn slopes down to a little lake crossed by a trompe-l’oeil bridge—all in perfect 18th-century upper-class taste. The grounds are skirted by Hampstead Heath. TIP In summer the grounds host a series of popular and classical concerts, culminating in fireworks on the last night. The Brew House café, occupying part of the old coach house, has outdoor tables in the courtyard and terraced garden. | Hampstead La., Hampstead | NW3 7JR | 020/8348–1286 | www.english-heritage.org.uk | Free | House daily 11:30–4. Gardens daily dawn–dusk | Station: Golders Green, then Bus 210.

A Trip to Abbey Road

For countless Beatlemaniacs and baby boomers, No. 3 Abbey Road is one of the most beloved spots in London. Here, outside the legendary Abbey Road Studios, is the most famous zebra crossing in the world, immortalized on the Beatles’ 1969 Abbey Road album. This footpath became a mod monument when, on August 8 of that year, John, Paul, George, and Ringo posed for photographer Iain Macmillan’s famous cover shot. The recording facility’s Studio 2 is where the Beatles recorded their entire output, from “Love Me Do” onward, including Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (early 1967).

Meanwhile, there’s never any shortage of tourists re-creating “the photo” outside. TIP Be very careful if you’re going to attempt this. Abbey Road is a dangerous intersection. One of the best—and safer—ways Beatle lovers can enjoy the history of the group is to take one of the excellent walking tours offered by Original London Walks (020/7624–3978 | www.walks.com), including The Beatles In-My-Life Walk (11:20 am outside Marylebone Underground on Saturday and Tuesday) and The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour (Wednesday at 2 pm, February to November, and Thursday and Sunday at 11 am, year-round, at Underground Exit 3, Tottenham Court Road), which cover nostalgic landmark Beatles spots in the city.

Abbey Road is in the elegant neighborhood of St. John’s Wood, a 10-minute ride on the Tube from central London. Take the Jubilee line to the St. John’s Wood Tube stop, head southwest three blocks down Grove End Road, and be prepared for a view right out of Memory Lane.

Worth Noting

Burgh House.
One of Hampstead’s oldest buildings, Burgh House was built in 1704 to take advantage of the natural spa waters of the then-fashionable Hampstead Wells. A private house until World War II, Burgh was saved from near-dereliction in the 1970s by local residents, who have been restoring and maintaining it ever since. The building is a fine example of the gentle elegance common to the Queen Anne period, with its redbrick box frontage, oak panelled rooms, and terraced garden (originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll). Today the house contains a small but diverting museum on the history of the area, and also hosts regular talks, concerts, and recitals. The secluded garden courtyard of the café is a lovely spot for lunch, tea, or glass of wine on a summer’s afternoon. Call ahead if you’re visiting the on a weekend, however, as the house is often hired out as a wedding venue on Saturdays. | New End Square, Hampstead | NW3 1LT | 020/7431–0144 | www.burghhouse.org.uk | Free | Wed.–Sun. noon–5 | Station: Hampstead.

Fenton House.
Hampstead’s oldest surviving house, a National Trust property, shows off a fine collections of porcelain and Georgian furniture and has a superb walled garden, complete with an apple orchard that dates back to the 17th century. Baroque music enthusiasts can join a tour of the important collection of keyboard instruments, and there’s a summer series of concerts on these very same instruments on Thursday evenings. Check the website for details. | Hampstead Grove, Hampstead | NW3 6SP | 020/7435–3471 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk | £7, garden only £2 | Mar.–Nov., Wed.–Sun. 11–5; Dec., weekends 11–4 | Station: Hampstead.

Freud Museum.
The father of psychoanalysis lived here for a year, between his escape from Nazi persecution in his native Vienna in 1938 and his death in 1939. Many of his possessions emigrated with him and were set up by his daughter, Anna (herself a pioneer of child psychoanalysis), as a shrine to her father’s life and work. Shortly after Anna’s death in 1982 the house was opened as a museum. It replicates Freud’s famous consulting rooms, particularly through the presence of the couch. You’ll find Freud-related books, lectures, and study groups here, too. TIP Looking for a unique souvenir for the person who has everything? The gift shop here sells “Freudean Slippers.” | 20 Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead | NW3 5SX | 020/7435–2002 | www.freud.org.uk | £6 | Wed.–Sun. noon–5 | Station: Swiss Cottage, Finchley Rd.

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