A North London pub crawl itinerary, historic Hampstead and Highgate pubs, the Heath-edge inns and a walkable route through centuries of London drinking. Map and tips.
A North London Pub Crawl: A Route Through the Historic Pubs
North London has some of the oldest and best pubs in the entire city, a 16th-century coaching inn, 17th-century village taverns, and Heath-edge institutions where Keats, Dickens and the highwayman Dick Turpin all reputedly drank. This isn't a city-centre bar crawl but something better: a walk through centuries of London drinking, linking the finest historic pubs of Hampstead and Highgate with the wild expanse of Hampstead Heath between them to walk off each pint. It's hilly, scenic and steeped in history, the most characterful pub crawl in London. This guide maps the route stop by stop, with timings and the rules that keep it civilised.
At a glance: Five historic pubs from Hampstead to Highgate, linked by a walk across Hampstead Heath, over about six hours from a noon start. Roughly 4-5km of (hilly) walking, food at the start and end, and centuries of history in every room.
Before You Go: The Rules of a Good Crawl
- Start at noon: This lets you do the Heath crossing in daylight, the Heath is no place to navigate after dark, least of all after a few pints.
- Eat: Build in proper food, lunch around stop two, dinner at stop five. Walking these distances and hills while drinking, without eating, is a mistake.
- Pace yourself: Five stops across six hours, with the Heath walk between stops three and four as the natural reset. This is a crawl, not a session, the walking is the point.
- Wear proper shoes: The Heath crossing is hilly and can be muddy. This is a country walk with pubs, not a pavement crawl.
- Getting home: Hampstead, Highgate and Archway (Northern line) bookend the route.
Stop 1: The Holly Bush (Hampstead), 12pm
Begin at The Holly Bush, tucked up a hidden alley in Hampstead village. A 17th-century pub, low ceilings, dark wood panelling, a warren of small warm rooms, and no music or screens. It's the gentlest, most atmospheric possible start: order something local, settle into a corner, and ease into the day. One of London's most beautiful pub interiors.
Stop 2: The Flask (Hampstead), 1pm
Five minutes away on Flask Walk, The Flask takes its name from the flasks of mineral water once sold here when Hampstead was an 18th-century spa town. A handsome village pub with a good beer range and a comfortable room, the logical second stop, and a good place to eat lunch and lay down some ballast before the Heath crossing.
Stop 3: The Spaniards Inn (Heath edge), 2:30pm
Walk up through the village and out onto Hampstead Heath to The Spaniards Inn, the crawl's historic centrepiece. A coaching inn dating from around 1585, it appears in Dickens's *The Pickwick Papers* and Bram Stoker's *Dracula*, and is woven into London legend (Keats, Byron and Dick Turpin all feature). The famous garden is the place for a pint on a fine afternoon. The 20-minute walk across the Heath to get here is part of the pleasure, and the sobering-up.
Stop 4: The Wrestlers or The Flask, Highgate, 4pm
Continue across the Heath toward Highgate (a 30-40 minute walk via Kenwood, or tube one stop if legs are flagging). Highgate's historic pubs are the next stop:
- The Flask, Highgate (18th century), a different Flask from Hampstead's, with a garden and a long literary clientele (Coleridge, Hogarth and Betjeman are all linked to it).
- The Wrestlers, a traditional, unchanged Highgate pub full of character.
Highgate's pubs are quieter than Hampstead's, a good late-afternoon pace as the crawl mellows.
Stop 5: The Bull (Highgate), Dinner, 6pm
End at The Bull in Highgate, a gastropub with a serious kitchen, so the crawl finishes with a proper dinner and a final, well-earned pint rather than fading out. (Or, if you'd rather end where you started, walk or tube back to a Hampstead pub for dinner.)
The Route at a Glance
| Stop | Pub | Era | Time |
|---|
| 1 | The Holly Bush, Hampstead | 17th c. | 12pm |
| 2 | The Flask, Hampstead | 18th c. (spa) | 1pm (lunch) |
| 3 | The Spaniards Inn | c. 1585 | 2:30pm |
| 4 | The Flask / The Wrestlers, Highgate | 18th c. | 4pm |
| 5 | The Bull, Highgate | gastropub | 6pm (dinner) |
Total: ~4-5km walking (including the Heath crossing), ~6 hours, five historic pubs.
Practical Notes
- The Heath crossing is the heart of it, between stops three and four, the walk via Kenwood is scenic and resets the pace. Do it in daylight.
- Drink responsibly: Spacing pints with walking and food across six hours is the whole design; this is a leisurely crawl, not a race.
- Weather: A fine-day crawl, in rain, tube between the pubs instead of crossing the Heath, or save it for a better day.
- Variations: For a shorter version, do just the three Hampstead-side historic pubs (Holly Bush, Flask, Spaniards). For a bigger one, add a Highgate village wander between stops four and five.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best historic pubs in Hampstead?
The Holly Bush (17th century), The Flask (named for the spa flasks), and The Spaniards Inn (around 1585, on the Heath's edge) are the most historic and atmospheric, and the core of a North London pub crawl.
Can you walk between Hampstead and Highgate pubs?
Yes, the two hilltop villages are linked by paths across Hampstead Heath, about a 30-40 minute walk via Kenwood. The Heath crossing is the scenic centrepiece of a North London pub crawl.
Which pub did Dickens and Keats drink at?
The Spaniards Inn, on the Heath's edge, appears in Dickens's *The Pickwick Papers* and is associated with Keats, Byron and the highwayman Dick Turpin. It dates from around 1585.
How long does a North London pub crawl take?
About six hours for the full five-stop route from a noon start, with roughly 4-5km of walking (including the Heath crossing) and food at the start and end.
Is the North London pub crawl suitable in winter?
Yes, but do the Heath crossing in daylight (winter dark comes early), or tube between the pubs. The historic pubs are at their cosiest in winter, with fires lit.
What's the oldest pub on the crawl?
The Spaniards Inn, dating from around 1585, a genuine Tudor-era coaching inn and one of the oldest pubs in London.
Do I need to book the pubs?
Generally no, but book a table at The Bull (or wherever you finish) for dinner, especially at weekends. The earlier pubs are walk-in.
