The Journal
From the Blog
Dispatches from the village — written by people who walk these streets every day. History, food, culture and the stories behind the places you love.
History & Heritage
A Walking Guide to Hampstead's Georgian and Victorian Architecture
A Walking Guide to Hampstead's Georgian and Victorian Architecture, a locally written, practical guide to what to know, where to go, and how to plan yo...
James Calloway · 2 min read
History & Heritage
The Lost Rivers of Hampstead: Following the Fleet Underground
The River Fleet rises on Hampstead Heath and runs buried under London to the Thames. A guide to Hampstead's lost rivers, their source ponds and how to trace them.
Oliver Hartwell · 5 min read
History & Heritage
Why Hampstead Has London's Deepest Tube Station
Hampstead is the deepest station on the London Underground at 58.5 metres, with the network's longest staircase. Why it is so deep, and what that means for your journey.
James Calloway · 4 min read
History & Heritage
The Highgate Vampire: London's Strangest Ghost Hunt
In 1970 two men declared a televised vampire hunt at Highgate Cemetery. The story of the Highgate Vampire, the panic it caused and what was really going on.
Oliver Hartwell · 4 min read
History & Heritage
The Archway Bridge: History of Hornsey Lane's Famous Iron Span
The story of the Archway Bridge on Hornsey Lane, its Victorian origins, its infamous history, the views across London, and what to know before you visit.
Oliver Hartwell · 7 min read
History & Heritage
What Is Hampstead Famous For? The Village's Claims to Fame
What is Hampstead famous for? The Heath, the celebrities, the literary history, the Georgian village, Kenwood's art and London's best pubs, a complete guide.
Oliver Hartwell · 7 min read
History & Heritage
The Old Bull and Bush: The Hampstead Pub That Inspired a Song
The Old Bull and Bush: a practical, locally written guide, what to know, where to go, and how to plan your visit.
James Calloway · 3 min read
History & Heritage
Hampstead Heath at War: Anti-Aircraft Guns, Doodlebugs and the Home Front
Anti-aircraft guns on Parliament Hill, a V1 flying bomb in the ponds, allotments and deep-tube shelters, the remarkable wartime history of Hampstead Heath, and where to find its traces today.
James Calloway · 8 min read
History & Heritage
Highgate Cemetery: The Complete Visitor Guide 2026
Highgate Cemetery is one of the great Victorian burial grounds of the world, a place of extraordinary atmosphere, Gothic architecture, overgrown pathways, and the graves of some of history's most remarkable people.
Oliver Hartwell · 8 min read
History & Heritage
Fenton House Hampstead: Complete Visitor Guide 2026
Fenton House is one of London's oldest surviving mansion houses, a National Trust property that rewards slow exploration, from its walled garden to its extraordinary keyboard instrument collection.
Oliver Hartwell · 6 min read
History & Heritage
Kenwood House Hampstead: The Complete Visitor Guide 2026
Most Londoners drive past the gates without looking twice. Those who stop discover one of the finest art collections in England, and it's completely free.
Oliver Hartwell · 5 min read
History & Heritage
Kenwood House: The Complete Visitor's Guide
A Rembrandt self-portrait, a Vermeer, 112 acres of landscaped parkland, and free entry, Kenwood House is one of London's finest cultural experiences. Here's everything you need to know before you visit.
Oliver Hartwell · 11 min read
History & Heritage
Historic Houses of Hampstead: A Guide to NW3's Finest Architecture
From Fenton House's 1693 walled gardens to Erno Goldfinger's modernist landmark on Willow Road, Hampstead's historic houses span three centuries of British architecture and the lives of artists, poets, and visionaries.
Beatrice Thornton · 14 min read
History & Heritage
Hampstead's Literary Heritage: From Keats to George Orwell
More writers, poets and novelists have lived in Hampstead than almost anywhere else in England. A guide to the literary history of the village and heath.
Oliver Hartwell · 11 min read
History & Heritage
The Story of Flask Walk: Hampstead's Spa Town Heritage
Flask Walk is the heart of old Hampstead, a narrow pedestrianised lane lined with independent shops, a famous pub, and 300 years of history. Here's the full story.
Oliver Hartwell · 5 min read