The Heath gets all the attention, but Hampstead has several other green spaces worth knowing: the Pergola, Golders Hill Park, Waterlow Park, and the quiet gardens few visitors find.
While Hampstead Heath is the area's crowning glory, Hampstead and its surroundings offer many other parks and green spaces, from the free zoo at Golders Hill Park to hidden gardens, formal parks, and the green corridors that make this one of the leafiest parts of London. This guide explores the parks and green spaces beyond the Heath.
- Beyond the Heath, the area has many parks and green spaces worth knowing
- Golders Hill Park has a free zoo, gardens, and a paddling pool
- The Hill Garden and Pergola is a romantic hidden gem
- Waterlow Park and others extend the green network into Highgate
- Most are free and family-friendly
- Combine with the Heath for a fully green day out
A Famously Green Corner of London
Hampstead and its surroundings form one of the leafiest parts of London. Hampstead Heath dominates, 790 acres of woodland, meadow, and pond, but it is far from the only green space. The area is rich in parks, gardens, and green corridors, many of them free, offering everything from formal Victorian gardens to a free zoo, hidden flowering pergolas, and peaceful local parks. For residents and visitors who love the outdoors, there is far more than the Heath alone.
Golders Hill Park
In the Heath's northwest corner (and technically part of the wider Heath estate), Golders Hill Park is a Victorian park of distinct character, and home to one of London's best-kept secrets: a completely free zoo. Highlights include:
- The free zoo: Flamingos, fallow deer, meerkats, and wallabies, all free to visit
- Formal gardens: Beautiful walled and ornamental gardens, lovely in summer
- A paddling pool and play area for children
- A bandstand with summer concerts
- A café with a pleasant terrace
Golders Hill Park is one of the best free family destinations in North London, combining the appeal of a zoo, gardens, and play facilities in one beautifully maintained park.
The Hill Garden and Pergola
On the West Heath, the Hill Garden and Pergola is one of London's most romantic and least-known spaces, a 250-metre Edwardian pergola draped in wisteria and climbing roses, crossing above a formal garden, with views across the Heath. Spectacular in May when the wisteria blooms, it is a hidden gem that even many locals have never discovered. Free and open daily.
Margaret Owens, a Hampstead resident, loves exploring the area's lesser-known green spaces. "Everyone knows the Heath," she said, "but the joy is all the other green corners. The free zoo at Golders Hill, my grandchildren adore the meerkats. The Hill Garden Pergola in May, with the wisteria out, it's the most romantic place in London and nobody's there. Waterlow Park over in Highgate. The area is so green you could spend weeks exploring just the parks. The Heath gets the glory, but these other spaces are treasures too."
Highgate's Green Spaces
A little to the east, Highgate offers its own green spaces, extending the area's leafy character:
- Waterlow Park: A beautiful Victorian park on the slopes of Highgate, with ornamental ponds, Lauderdale House (an arts centre), and lovely views. Free and a genuine local treasure.
- Highgate Wood and Queen's Wood: Ancient woodlands a little further north, offering peaceful woodland walks and rich wildlife.
- Highgate Cemetery: Not a park, but its atmospheric, overgrown Victorian grounds offer a unique green (and historic) experience.
Smaller Local Parks and Gardens
Beyond the major spaces, Hampstead and its surroundings are dotted with smaller local parks, garden squares, and green corners, peaceful spots for a moment of calm, a local play area, or a quiet sit. These smaller green spaces, along with the area's many private gardens and tree-lined streets, contribute to the overall leafiness that makes this part of London so pleasant to live in and visit. The community gardens of Hampstead and Belsize Park add a further green dimension.
A Green Day Out Beyond the Heath
1. Morning: Golders Hill Park, the free zoo, gardens, and café.
2. Midday: Walk to the Hill Garden and Pergola on the West Heath.
3. Afternoon: Cross the Heath, or head to Highgate for Waterlow Park and Highgate Wood.
4. Anytime: Combine with the Heath's own attractions, ponds, Parliament Hill, and Kenwood.
Practical Information
- Golders Hill Park: Free; zoo, gardens, paddling pool, café; Golders Green Tube
- Hill Garden & Pergola: Free; West Heath; best in May for wisteria
- Waterlow Park: Free; Highgate; ornamental ponds and Lauderdale House
- Highgate & Queen's Wood: Free ancient woodlands
- Best for: Families, walkers, anyone who loves green space
- Getting there: Golders Green, Hampstead, Highgate (Northern line); Hampstead Heath/Gospel Oak (Overground)
Hampstead and its surroundings offer far more green space than the famous Heath alone, a free zoo and gardens at Golders Hill, the romantic Hill Garden Pergola, Waterlow Park and the ancient woods of Highgate, and countless smaller parks and gardens. Together they make this one of the greenest, most rewarding corners of London for anyone who loves the outdoors. The Heath may be the star, but its supporting cast of parks and gardens is a treasure in its own right, and much of it is free.
Green Space and Wellbeing
The abundance of green space in and around Hampstead is not just an amenity, it is a genuine contributor to health and wellbeing. Research consistently shows that access to nature improves mental and physical health, reducing stress, lifting mood, and encouraging exercise. In a dense city, this green wealth is a precious asset, and Hampstead is exceptionally rich in it. From the wild expanse of the Heath to the gardens of Golders Hill, the community gardens of the area, and the parks of Highgate, residents and visitors have countless ways to connect with nature.
This green-mindedness is part of the area's character, a community that values, protects, and enjoys its green spaces, carrying on the spirit that saved the Heath from development in the 19th century.
A Green Spaces Itinerary
To explore the area's green spaces beyond the Heath:
- Morning: Golders Hill Park, the free zoo, gardens, and café.
- Late morning: The Hill Garden and Pergola on the West Heath, spectacular in May.
- Afternoon: Cross to Highgate for Waterlow Park and the ancient Highgate and Queen's Woods.
- Anytime: The Heath itself, Parliament Hill, the ponds, Kenwood.
This itinerary takes in a free zoo, a romantic pergola, ancient woodland, and one of London's great green spaces, much of it free, all of it beautiful. For families, walkers, and anyone who loves the outdoors, the parks and green spaces around Hampstead are a treasure to be explored season after season.
