Hampstead Heath is one of London's best places to walk a dog — 790 acres of off-lead space.
Dog-Friendly Hampstead: The Best Walks, Pubs, and Cafés for You and Your Dog
Hampstead Heath is, depending on your perspective, a 790-acre park with some interesting topography and cultural history, or the finest off-lead dog-walking space within Zone 2 of the London Underground. Both descriptions are accurate. The Heath allows dogs off lead across most of its area (with specific exceptions, detailed below), the surrounding village has pubs and cafés that take dogs seriously, and the sheer variety of terrain — open grassland, dense woodland, ponds, formal parkland — means that the walk genuinely varies week to week.
The Heath: What Dogs Can and Can't Do
Off-lead: Dogs may be off lead across most of Hampstead Heath, including the open grassland of Parliament Hill, the woodland paths, and the majority of walking routes. The City of London Corporation, which manages the Heath, asks that dogs be kept under control at all times and on leads in certain specific areas.
On lead required: Dogs must be on leads in the formal gardens at Kenwood, in the children's play areas, and within a seasonal exclusion zone that applies around the ground-nesting bird areas on the Heath each spring (April to August, typically). The seasonal exclusion zones are well-signed and enforced by the Heath rangers. They cover a smaller area than most dog owners expect — perhaps 5–10% of the Heath — and are easy to route around.
Water: Dogs may swim in the Heath's various ponds, including the mixed bathing pond (when it is closed to human swimmers in winter) and the informal pond areas. Dogs are not permitted in the designated human bathing areas when the ponds are open for swimming.
Bins: Dog waste bins are distributed across the Heath. Their location is less obvious than in managed parks — use the one at the main car park entrance, near the café on Parliament Hill, and at the Kenwood car park.
The Best Dog Walks on the Heath
Parliament Hill Loop (45–60 minutes)
Start at the East Heath Road car park. Walk up to the Parliament Hill summit for the view, then descend along the western side to the path along the upper edge of the ponds. Return via the wooded path through the middle Heath. This covers the most scenically varied section of the southern Heath and includes multiple off-lead sections separated by two or three short on-lead sections near the play areas.
The Full Heath Walk (2.5–3 hours)
Start at East Heath Road, walk to Parliament Hill, continue north through the wooded middle section, up to the northern Heath and Kenwood, across the Heath Extension to Golders Hill Park (where dogs can investigate the animal enclosures from the path), and back via West Heath. This covers most of the major sections and works well for higher-energy dogs.
The Vale of Health Walk (30 minutes)
A shorter loop from the East Heath Road entrance through the Vale of Health hamlet and back — good for early mornings or post-pub walks. The Vale of Health pond is accessible and dogs can enter at the informal bank areas.
Dog-Friendly Pubs
The Holly Bush, Holly Mount
Dogs welcome in the bar. The Holly Bush is one of Hampstead's most dog-friendly pubs and makes no particular issue of well-behaved dogs accompanying their owners. Water bowls available on request. Full pub review:
Holly Bush guide.
The Spaniards Inn, Spaniards Road
The garden is one of the most pleasant outdoor spaces for dogs in the area — large, shaded in summer, and adjacent to the Heath so you can arrive and depart directly from a walk. Dogs welcome throughout the garden; pub interior varies by day and busyness. Full history:
Spaniards Inn guide.
The Bull and Last, Highgate Road
Well-known for its Sunday roast (see our
Sunday lunch guide) and genuinely welcoming to dogs in the bar area. The location — 15 minutes' walk from Parliament Hill — makes it a natural end-of-walk destination from the southern Heath.
Jack Straw's Castle, North End Way
On the edge of the Heath at the Whitestone Pond junction. Dogs welcome. The position makes it the obvious post-walk pub for anyone walking the northern Heath or the Heath Extension.
Dog-Friendly Cafés
Ginger and White (Perrin's Court): Outdoor seating is dog-friendly; indoor seating is manageable for well-behaved dogs when it's not busy. Water bowls provided.
Brew House Café, Kenwood: The stable block café at Kenwood has outdoor terrace seating that is dog-friendly. A solid option for dogs and owners who've walked up from the southern Heath to Kenwood.
Parliament Hill Café: The café beside the athletics track has outdoor seating accessible to dogs. Not the most polished café in the area but extremely useful after parkrun or a morning walk.
Practical Advice
Water: The Heath has multiple natural water sources for dogs, which is part of its appeal. In summer, the ponds are cooler than the air temperature; dogs swimming in them tend to emerge significantly cleaner than dogs that have found the mud. In dry weather, bring water for the return journey.
Leads: Retractable leads are technically functional on the Heath but impractical in woodland sections where snagging on undergrowth is a constant issue. A standard 1.5–2m lead is more practical.
Busy periods: The Heath is busiest on Sunday mornings between 10am and noon. If your dog is unpredictable around other dogs or children, aim for weekday mornings (excellent) or Saturday after 2pm (manageable). The western Heath and the Pergola area are consistently quieter than Parliament Hill.
After the walk: The high street at Hampstead has water bowls outside several of the dog-friendly establishments, but it's worth carrying water on longer walks and checking your dog's paws after woodland routes, particularly in summer when dry grass and broken branches can lodge between toes.
Related reading: Hampstead Heath Complete Guide · Best Walks from Hampstead Tube · The Spaniards Inn Guide
