The Pergola and Hill Garden Hampstead: London's Most Secret Walled Garden The Pergola and Hill Garden on the western edge of Hampstead Heath is, by some margin, the most impressive thing in this part
- Wisteria blooms in late April to mid-May; roses peak in June and again in September
- Free to enter; open daily during daylight hours
- The nearest entrance is off North End Way, NW3 — about 20 minutes' walk from Hampstead tube station
- Almost completely unknown to visitors, even locals: weekday mornings are genuinely quiet
- Combine with nearby Golders Hill Park for a longer morning
The History of the Pergola
The Pergola was built by William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme — the soap manufacturer whose name survives in Lever Brothers, the company that became Unilever. Leverhulme bought The Hill, the estate that adjoined the northern Heath, in 1905 and spent the following two decades enlarging it and transforming its grounds.
The Pergola was his principal garden project. He hired the garden designer Thomas Mawson to design it: a raised walkway on stone pillars, running around the perimeter of the formal garden below, with the structure designed to support climbing plants at the height of the eye-level canopy rather than overhead. The effect — when in full growth — is of walking through a green tunnel that opens periodically onto views of the garden below and the Heath beyond.
Leverhulme died in 1925. The Hill estate was acquired by the London County Council and absorbed into Hampstead Heath in 1960. The Pergola and Hill Garden are managed by the City of London Corporation as part of the Heath.
When to Visit: The Flowering Calendar
The Pergola is worth visiting at any time of year — the structure alone is remarkable — but the experience is transformed by what is in flower.
Late April to Mid-May: Wisteria
This is the main event. The wisteria on the Pergola is among the most extensive in London: multiple varieties, planted along the full length of the walkway, producing cascades of purple-blue flower that hang at eye level as you walk. The scent is distinctive and strong.
Wisteria is unpredictable by a week or two each year depending on the spring. A warm April can bring it to peak by the last week of April; a cold spring pushes it into mid-May. Checking the Heath's social media in late April is worth doing if timing your visit around it.
The light in early morning — before 9am — filters through the flowers differently from the midday light. Photographers who know the Pergola arrive early and stay for the quality of the first hour.
June: Roses
The Hill Garden below the Pergola contains formal rose beds that come into full flower in June. The combination of the roses below and the climbers on the Pergola itself makes June the second high point of the year. Less dramatic than the wisteria, but longer-lasting and at a time of year when longer days make an evening visit possible.
September to November: Autumn Colour
The climbing plants on the Pergola include Virginia creeper and various vines that turn deep red and orange in autumn. Combined with the broad views of the Heath in autumn colour, this makes September and October genuinely worth the trip.
"Anna, a photographer from Highgate, discovered the Pergola when she was walking from Golders Hill Park in April 2023 and followed a path she hadn't taken before. 'I've lived in north London for eight years,' she says. 'I had no idea it existed. The wisteria was at peak. I went back three more times that week.'"
Getting There
The Pergola is not well-signposted, which partly explains why it remains so unvisited.
From Hampstead tube station: Walk north along Heath Street, which becomes North End Way. The entrance to the Hill Garden is on the left, past The Old Bull and Bush pub, approximately 20-25 minutes' walk. Look for the wooden gate in the brick wall.
From Golders Green: Walk south from Golders Green station along North End Road/North End Way. The entrance is on the right, about 15 minutes. This approach is often quicker.
By car: Limited street parking on North End Way. The Golders Hill Park car park (off West Heath Road) is a 10-minute walk.
The entrance: Through the gate, follow the path to the right and upward. The entrance to the Pergola walkway is via stone steps at the far end of the formal garden below.
The Walk Itself
The Pergola walkway is 230 metres long and elevated above the Hill Garden on stone columns. It runs in a rough horseshoe, with views of the Heath, the formal garden below, and — on clear days — the London skyline.
The walkway is not entirely flat: there are gentle rises and falls, and the surface is stone with some uneven sections. It is accessible to most visitors but not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Allow 20-30 minutes to walk the Pergola at a reasonable pace with time to stop and look. With the garden below and the viewpoints, a full visit takes 45-60 minutes.
Combining With Nearby Attractions
Golders Hill Park: Adjacent to the Hill Garden and connected by path. Contains a small zoo (free, open daily), a café, a bandstand, and formal flower gardens. An excellent addition to a Pergola visit, particularly for families.
West Heath: The western section of Hampstead Heath, accessible from the Pergola via the North End Way entrance. Quieter and less visited than the main Heath, with good woodland walking.
The Old Bull and Bush: A short walk north on North End Way, this historic pub is one of the oldest in the area and has a good garden. A natural end-point for a morning that begins at the Pergola.
Sandy Heath: Further along from the West Heath, the Sandy Heath section has the most varied terrain on the whole Heath — sandy heathland, mature pine woodland, and a sense of isolation unusual for Zone 2.
Practical Information
Opening hours: Daily during daylight hours (typically 8am to 30 minutes before dusk). No admission charge.
Facilities: No café or toilets within the Hill Garden itself. Golders Hill Park (adjacent) has both.
Dogs: Allowed in the Hill Garden; must be on lead in the formal garden area.
Photography: The Pergola is popular with photographers. Weekday mornings before 9am offer the best combination of light and quiet.
Accessibility: The garden paths are accessible. The Pergola walkway itself has uneven stone surfaces and some steps; not suitable for wheelchairs.
Conclusion
The Pergola and Hill Garden is the most rewarding single discovery you can make in Hampstead. It requires a slightly longer walk, a gate that is not obviously signed, and a willingness to go somewhere not listed in most guides. Everything after the gate is worth it.
Go in late April. Go early. Tell nobody.
Continue exploring: Hampstead Heath Complete Guide · Kenwood House Hampstead Guide · Hidden Gems in North London
