Writer
Oliver Hartwell
Hampstead, London
Oliver is a lifelong Hampstead resident and architectural historian who has spent three decades uncovering the stories behind the village's Georgian terraces, hidden lanes, and literary landmarks. His writing blends meticulous research with a warm, accessible style.
Articles by Oliver Hartwell
156 articles
Nature & Outdoors
Parks & Green Spaces Beyond Hampstead Heath: Complete Guide 2026
The Heath gets all the attention, but Hampstead has several other green spaces worth knowing: the Pergola, Golders Hill Park, Waterlow Park, and the quiet gardens few visitors find.
5 min read· 5 April 2026
History & Heritage
Keats House: Where the Poet Found His Muse
The Regency villa where John Keats wrote Ode to a Nightingale remains one of Londons most intimate literary museums.
5 min read· 28 March 2026
Local Life
Emergency & Urgent Care in Hampstead: The Complete Guide 2026
Police, fire, ambulance, dental emergencies, mental health crisis lines, the numbers and locations you need when things go wrong in NW3.
5 min read· 26 March 2026
Local Life
Kenwood Concert Season: How to Get the Most from It
Proms by the Lake is one of Londons great summer traditions. Here is everything you need to plan the perfect evening.
3 min read· 21 March 2026
History & Heritage
The Vale of Health: Hampstead's Hidden Hamlet in the Heath
A hidden hamlet enclosed within the Heath, the Vale of Health has been home to D.H. Lawrence, Leigh Hunt, and a long succession of artists and writers who valued its improbable combination of wildness and proximity to London.
5 min read· 18 March 2026
History & Heritage
Hampstead During the Blitz: Survival and Loss
The bombing of 1940 to 41 left its mark on Hampstead, in the gaps between buildings in the street names that commemorate the dead.
6 min read· 15 March 2026
Nature & Outdoors
Dog Walking on Hampstead Heath: The Unofficial Guide
The best routes, the rules, the seasonal mud, the ponds, and everything you need to know to make the most of the Heath with your dog.
6 min read· 12 March 2026
Arts & Culture
Best Photography Spots in Hampstead
Hampstead rewards the observant photographer at every turn, from the Georgian terraces of Church Row to the hilltop panoramas of Parliament Hill and the wild, light-filled spaces of the Heath.
6 min read· 12 March 2026
Nature & Outdoors
Running Routes on Hampstead Heath: The Complete Guide 2026
The Heath offers some of the best trail running in London with routes to suit everything from a quick parkrun to serious long run training.
5 min read· 11 March 2026
Arts & Culture
Burgh House & the Hampstead Museum: Complete Guide 2026
Hidden on New End Square, Burgh House is a Queen Anne mansion turned community arts centre and local history museum. Free to enter, rarely crowded, and entirely worth your time.
5 min read· 8 March 2026
Nature & Outdoors
Hampstead Heath Ponds: Opening Times, Prices & Swimming Guide 2026
Three outdoor swimming ponds, open year-round, in the middle of London. The Hampstead ponds are a genuinely singular experience, here is everything you need to know.
12 min read· 5 March 2026
Nature & Outdoors
Nature in the City: What to Do at Hampstead Heath
790 acres of ancient woodland, meadow, and swimming ponds just four miles from central London. Hampstead Heath is unlike anywhere else in the city, here is how to make the most of it, in every season.
8 min read· 1 March 2026
Food & Drink
Best Bakeries & Delis in Hampstead: The Complete Guide 2026
The places to find exceptional bread, good cheese, smoked fish, and the kind of provisions that make a Saturday morning feel genuinely civilised.
5 min read· 24 February 2026
Nature & Outdoors
Hampstead Heath Walking Guide: The Best Routes 2026
Eight square miles of ancient woodland, meadow, ponds and hilltop views. A neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to getting the most out of Hampstead Heath, whatever the season.
5 min read· 14 February 2026
Arts & Culture
Kenwood House: Art & Gardens on Hampstead Heath
Free to enter and containing one of the finest small art collections in England, Kenwood is the kind of place you discover once and return to for the rest of your life.
5 min read· 4 February 2026