Parliament Hill offers the finest panoramic view of London from ground level, and it's free. Here's the complete guide: best time to visit, how to get there, and what you can see.
Parliament Hill Hampstead: The Complete Guide to London's Best View
Parliament Hill is the highest accessible point on Hampstead Heath and offers what is, on a clear day, the finest panoramic view of London available without paying for a lift ticket. At 98 metres above sea level, the summit overlooks the entire City skyline from the Shard in the east to the BT Tower in the west, with St Paul's Cathedral central and clear. It is free, open every day of the year, and almost never disappoints. If you visit one place in north London, this is the place.
Key Takeaways
- The best London skyline view from Parliament Hill is facing south, from the summit (not the slope)
- Dawn and dusk are the most dramatic times, the City glass towers catch the light in ways the midday sun doesn't achieve
- The summit is a 10-15 minute walk from the Gospel Oak overground or a 20-25 minute walk from Hampstead tube
- The Parliament Hill kite-flying tradition is real and active, windy weekends bring dozens of kites
- The athletics track and Parliament Hill café are at the southern base, making this a practical starting point for a full Heath morning
The View: What You Can See
From the Parliament Hill summit, on a clear day, the identifiable elements of the London skyline include:
Central: St Paul's Cathedral dome (7km south); the cluster of City towers including the Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe), the Scalpel, and various newer additions; the BT Tower to the west.
East: The Shard (9km); the cluster of Canary Wharf towers on the Isle of Dogs (11km); the O2 dome on the horizon (15km).
West: Alexandra Palace on its ridge (7km northwest); on very clear days, the Windsor area hills are visible (50km).
Immediate foreground: The south slope of Parliament Hill, the athletics track, the bathing ponds in the dip below, and the residential streets of Gospel Oak and Kentish Town.
The view is not obstructed by anything between Parliament Hill and the City. This is the crucial fact: Hampstead Heath's protected status means nothing can be built on the Heath or in the immediate foreground to block the sightline. The view you have today is substantively the same as the view of a hundred years ago, and, barring a change in planning law, will remain so.
The History of Parliament Hill
The name Parliament Hill predates any clear documentary evidence of its connection to Parliament. The most frequently cited theory, that it was the vantage point used by Catholic conspirators to watch the Houses of Parliament burn during the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, is repeated everywhere and supported by nothing. The name appears in records from the early 18th century but its origin remains genuinely obscure.
What is documented: the hill was the site of a Bronze Age barrow (burial mound) at its summit, which was excavated in the 19th century. The barrow is gone, but the flat summit plateau may partly reflect its presence. The Heath itself, including Parliament Hill, was saved from development by an Act of Parliament in 1871, one of the first pieces of conservation legislation in English history.
Best Time to Visit
Dawn (October to February): The most dramatic light. The City towers face east-southeast; at sunrise in autumn and winter, they catch the low sun directly and appear to glow. The Heath below is often in mist, the city rising above it. Arrive 30-40 minutes before sunrise.
Late afternoon (March to May, September): The low afternoon sun from the west catches the western face of the towers differently from morning. The long shadows across the heath grassland in the foreground add depth.
Clear winter days: Winter removes the summer haze that softens the view. On a cold, clear December or January day, the visibility from Parliament Hill is often the best of the year, you can see the specific details of buildings 12km away.
Summer: The view is still excellent but often has a layer of atmospheric haze that reduces the sense of distance. Sunrise in summer is very early (4:45-5:15am in June-July).
Getting There
From Gospel Oak overground: The Parliament Hill café and athletics track entrance is a 10-minute walk from Gospel Oak station, south down Nassington Road and through the park gates. This is the most direct route.
From Hampstead tube: Northern line to Hampstead, then 20-25 minutes on foot: down Heath Street, left on Downshire Hill, right on Keats Grove, into the Heath via the East Heath Road entrance, then follow the path south and uphill to Parliament Hill.
From Kentish Town: Bus 214 to Gospel Oak, then 10 minutes as above.
By car: Limited parking on Gordon House Road adjacent to the athletics track entrance. East Heath Road car park (pay and display) is further from Parliament Hill but serves the whole eastern Heath.
Kite Flying on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill is one of a small number of sites in London where kite flying is both traditional and practically effective. The combination of elevation, consistent wind (the ridge sits above the surrounding streets and catches more wind than the flat city below), and unobstructed space makes it among the best kite-flying sites in London.
Weekend afternoons with moderate wind, 10-20mph, bring regular kite flyers. More elaborate kites (box kites, delta kites, the occasional stunt kite) appear when conditions are right. The tradition is informal and self-organising.
The Athletics Track and Café
At the southern base of Parliament Hill, the Parliament Hill Athletics Track is a standard 400m facility managed by the London Borough of Camden. It is open to the public on a self-serve basis for most of the week, with booked sessions for clubs and schools taking priority at certain times.
The adjacent Parliament Hill café is described in detail in our cafes guide. The short version: functional, good coffee, breakfast rolls, outdoor seating. Open from 9am (8:30am weekends). The post-walk coffee from the Parliament Hill café is one of north London's small reliable pleasures.
Combining Parliament Hill With Other Attractions
Parliament Hill sits at the southern end of Hampstead Heath and connects naturally with:
- The bathing ponds: 12 minutes downhill from the summit. All three ponds (Men's, Ladies', Mixed) are visible from the path descent.
- The central woodland Heath: 20-30 minutes north through the middle Heath to Kenwood.
- Kenwood House: 40 minutes north from Parliament Hill. Full morning's combination with lunch at the Brew House.
- The Pergola and Hill Garden: 50 minutes north and west. Full circuit.
Conclusion
Parliament Hill is one of those places that consistently delivers, in different ways in different seasons, but never fails to be worth the walk. The view is the obvious reason to go. The habit of going, regularly, in different conditions, at different times, is the reason people keep going back.
Related reading: Hampstead Heath Complete Guide · Sunrise at Hampstead Heath · Wild Swimming at the Ponds
