The Ancient Trees of Hampstead Heath

Among the many things worth knowing about Hampstead Heath is this: some of the trees you walk beneath are older than the United States. The veteran oaks on the West Heath — gnarled, hollow-trunked, spreading a canopy that in some cases exceeds 25 metres — were already old when the Great Fire of London burned in 1666. Walking among them, particularly in winter when the bare branches are fully visible, is to stand in genuine antiquity.

The Veteran Oaks

The West Heath holds the greatest concentration of veteran trees — ancient oaks and hornbeams that have been growing since the Tudor period. These are not large trees in the conventional sense: centuries of pollarding and the acidic, sandy soil of the Heath have kept them relatively short. Their age is visible not in height but in girth, in the extravagance of their branch structures, in the deep fissures of their bark that hold entire ecosystems of invertebrates, lichens, and fungi.

The Hornbeam Coppice

The North Wood contains a remarkable area of ancient hornbeam coppice — trees that have been cut to the base and allowed to regrow on rotation for several centuries. The multi-stemmed forms that result from centuries of coppicing are extraordinary: in autumn, when the leaves turn clear yellow, the coppice becomes one of the most beautiful woodland spaces in London.

How to Find Them

The best access to the veteran oaks is via the West Heath entrance near Whitestone Pond. Walk south along the perimeter path and then into the heath proper. The trees are unmistakable — look for the largest, most irregular forms. The City of London Corporation has installed interpretation boards near several of the most significant individuals.