October and November transform Hampstead Heath into a painter's canvas of gold, amber and rust. Here's where to find the best colour, and when.
The Best Spots
Kenwood Estate: The formal gardens and surrounding woodland of Kenwood House are among the finest places for autumn colour in the whole city. The avenue of limes leading down to the ornamental lake turns deep gold by mid-October, and the beech woodland above is spectacular. Entry to the grounds is free.
The Vale of Health: This tucked-away corner of the Heath near East Heath Road is ringed by mature trees that make for a vivid autumn display. The small pond reflects the canopy on still mornings, bring a camera.
The Northern Heath: Beyond the Kenwood car park, the open heathland gives way to a wilder section of ancient woodland that is far less visited than the southern Heath. Follow the paths north past Sandy Heath and you'll find pockets of beech and oak that rival any formal arboretum.
Parliament Hill Slopes: The south-facing grassland here catches the afternoon light beautifully in October. The scattered trees on the hillside are often the last to turn, providing colour well into November.
Photography Tips
The golden hour on the Heath in autumn, the 45 minutes after sunrise, is genuinely exceptional. Bring a wide-angle lens for the Parliament Hill panorama and a longer lens for details: the texture of wet beech leaves, the silhouette of a kite against a coloured canopy, or the reflections in the Viaduct Pond.
After rain, the paths into the wooded sections can be slippery and muddy. Proper footwear makes a real difference. The leaves are at their most luminous when slightly damp and lit from behind, a misty morning often produces better photographs than a bright sunny one.
What Else to Do
Autumn on the Heath is also prime time for fungi foraging (observation only, picking is not permitted). The ancient woodland harbours dozens of species, including some dramatic fly agarics along the Kenwood paths in October.
The Heath also hosts large flocks of redwings and fieldfares from October onwards, Scandinavian visitors that arrive to feed on the berries and earthworms of the open grassland.
A Tree-Spotter's Guide to the Colour
Part of what makes the Heath's autumn so prolonged is the mix of species, which turn at different times. The field maples and limes go first, flaring gold from early October. The beeches follow with deep coppery amber through mid-October, the woodland above Kenwood is the place to see them.
The horse chestnuts turn brown and drop their conkers early, while the mighty English oaks hold their russet leaves longest, often well into November.
Knowing this lets you time a visit: come early for the limes and maples, later for the oaks.
A Suggested Autumn Walk
For the best colour in a single circuit, start at Hampstead Heath Overground station, climb to Parliament Hill for the morning view, drop down past the boating pond and head north along the eastern ponds to the Viaduct Pond.
Continue up to the Kenwood Estate, take in the lime avenue and the beech woodland, then loop back through Sandy Heath. The route runs three to four miles and takes a comfortable two hours with photo stops.
Our full Heath walking guide has variations, and dog owners will find autumn one of the best seasons for the routes in our dog-walking guide.
The nearest stations are Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak (Overground) for the southern Heath, and Highgate or Archway for Kenwood. Pay-and-display parking near the Kenwood and Parliament Hill car parks fills early on fine autumn weekends.
Bring waterproof footwear, the wooded paths hold mud after rain, and a flask; the Brew House café at Kenwood and the Parliament Hill kiosk are the handiest warm-up stops.
The Spaniards Inn with its open fires is the classic reward for a cold morning's walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to see autumn colours on Hampstead Heath?
Mid-October to mid-November, usually peaking in the last week of October. The Kenwood woodland turns slightly earlier than the exposed southern slopes, and the oaks hold their colour latest, into November.
Where is the best autumn colour on the Heath?
The lime avenue and beech woodland around the Kenwood Estate, the tree-ringed Vale of Health pond, and the view from Parliament Hill in early-morning light are the three finest spots.
What is the best time of day for autumn photographs?
The golden hour just after sunrise. Slightly damp, misty mornings make the foliage glow and often produce better images than bright, sunny days.
A Tree-Spotter's Guide to the Colour
Part of what makes the Heath's autumn so prolonged is the mix of species, which turn at different times. The field maples and limes go first, flaring gold from early October. The beeches follow with deep coppery amber through mid-October, the woodland above Kenwood is the place to see them.
The horse chestnuts turn brown and drop their conkers early, while the mighty English oaks hold their russet leaves longest, often well into November. Knowing this lets you time a visit: come early for the limes and maples, later for the oaks.
A Suggested Autumn Walk
For the best colour in a single circuit, start at Hampstead Heath Overground station, climb to Parliament Hill for the morning view, drop down past the boating pond and head north along the eastern ponds to the Viaduct Pond.
Continue up to the Kenwood Estate, take in the lime avenue and the beech woodland, then loop back through Sandy Heath.
The route runs three to four miles and takes a comfortable two hours with photo stops. Our full Heath walking guide has variations, and dog owners will find autumn one of the best seasons for the routes in our dog-walking guide.
The nearest stations are Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak (Overground) for the southern Heath, and Highgate or Archway for Kenwood. Pay-and-display parking near the Kenwood and Parliament Hill car parks fills early on fine autumn weekends.
Bring waterproof footwear, the wooded paths hold mud after rain, and a flask; the Brew House café at Kenwood and the Parliament Hill kiosk are the handiest warm-up stops. The Spaniards Inn with its open fires is the classic reward for a cold morning's walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to see autumn colours on Hampstead Heath?
Mid-October to mid-November, usually peaking in the last week of October. The Kenwood woodland turns slightly earlier than the exposed southern slopes, and the oaks hold their colour latest, into November.
Where is the best autumn colour on the Heath?
The lime avenue and beech woodland around the Kenwood Estate, the tree-ringed Vale of Health pond, and the view from Parliament Hill in early-morning light are the three finest spots.
What is the best time of day for autumn photographs?
The golden hour just after sunrise. Slightly damp, misty mornings make the foliage glow and often produce better images than bright, sunny days.
A Tree-Spotter's Guide to the Colour
Part of what makes the Heath's autumn so prolonged is the mix of species, which turn at different times. The field maples and limes go first, flaring gold from early October. The beeches follow with deep coppery amber through mid-October, the woodland above Kenwood is the place to see them.
The horse chestnuts turn brown and drop their conkers early, while the mighty English oaks hold their russet leaves longest, often well into November. Knowing this lets you time a visit: come early for the limes and maples, later for the oaks.
A Suggested Autumn Walk
For the best colour in a single circuit, start at Hampstead Heath Overground station, climb to Parliament Hill for the morning view, drop down past the boating pond and head north along the eastern ponds to the Viaduct Pond.
Continue up to the Kenwood Estate, take in the lime avenue and the beech woodland, then loop back through Sandy Heath.
The route runs three to four miles and takes a comfortable two hours with photo stops. Our full Heath walking guide has variations, and dog owners will find autumn one of the best seasons for the routes in our dog-walking guide.
The nearest stations are Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak (Overground) for the southern Heath, and Highgate or Archway for Kenwood. Pay-and-display parking near the Kenwood and Parliament Hill car parks fills early on fine autumn weekends.
Bring waterproof footwear, the wooded paths hold mud after rain, and a flask; the Brew House café at Kenwood and the Parliament Hill kiosk are the handiest warm-up stops. The Spaniards Inn with its open fires is the classic reward for a cold morning's walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to see autumn colours on Hampstead Heath?
Mid-October to mid-November, usually peaking in the last week of October. The Kenwood woodland turns slightly earlier than the exposed southern slopes, and the oaks hold their colour latest, into November.
Where is the best autumn colour on the Heath?
The lime avenue and beech woodland around the Kenwood Estate, the tree-ringed Vale of Health pond, and the view from Parliament Hill in early-morning light are the three finest spots.
What is the best time of day for autumn photographs?
The golden hour just after sunrise. Slightly damp, misty mornings make the foliage glow and often produce better images than bright, sunny days.
A Tree-Spotter's Guide to the Colour
Part of what makes the Heath's autumn so prolonged is the mix of species, which turn at different times. The field maples and limes go first, flaring gold from early October. The beeches follow with deep coppery amber through mid-October, the woodland above Kenwood is the place to see them.
The horse chestnuts turn brown and drop their conkers early, while the mighty English oaks hold their russet leaves longest, often well into November. Knowing this lets you time a visit: come early for the limes and maples, later for the oaks.
A Suggested Autumn Walk
For the best colour in a single circuit, start at Hampstead Heath Overground station, climb to Parliament Hill for the morning view, drop down past the boating pond and head north along the eastern ponds to the Viaduct Pond. Continue up to the Kenwood Estate, take in the lime avenue and the beech woodland, then loop back through Sandy Heath.
The route runs three to four miles and takes a comfortable two hours with photo stops. Our full Heath walking guide has variations, and dog owners will find autumn one of the best seasons for the routes in our dog-walking guide.
The nearest stations are Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak (Overground) for the southern Heath, and Highgate or Archway for Kenwood. Pay-and-display parking near the Kenwood and Parliament Hill car parks fills early on fine autumn weekends.
Bring waterproof footwear, the wooded paths hold mud after rain, and a flask; the Brew House café at Kenwood and the Parliament Hill kiosk are the handiest warm-up stops. The Spaniards Inn with its open fires is the classic reward for a cold morning's walk.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to see autumn colours on Hampstead Heath?
Mid-October to mid-November, usually peaking in the last week of October. The Kenwood woodland turns slightly earlier than the exposed southern slopes, and the oaks hold their colour latest, into November.
Where is the best autumn colour on the Heath?
The lime avenue and beech woodland around the Kenwood Estate, the tree-ringed Vale of Health pond, and the view from Parliament Hill in early-morning light are the three finest spots.
What is the best time of day for autumn photographs?
The golden hour just after sunrise. Slightly damp, misty mornings make the foliage glow and often produce better images than bright, sunny days.
