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
The Vale of Health: Hampstead's Most Secluded Corner
A hidden hamlet enclosed within the Heath, the Vale of Health has been home to D.H. Lawrence, Leigh Hunt, and a long succession of artists and writers who valued its improbable combination of wildness and proximity to London.
Oliver Hartwell
5 min read
History & Heritage
Church Row: The Most Beautiful Street in North London
Built in the 1720s and barely altered since, Church Row is Hampstead's architectural masterpiece — a perfect Georgian terrace leading to St John's Church and one of London's most atmospheric churchyards.
James Calloway
5 min read
History & Heritage
The Spaniards Inn: 400 Years of Highwaymen and Poets
Dick Turpin, Lord Byron, John Keats, and Bram Stoker all passed through the same low door. The Spaniards Inn is one of the most storied buildings in London.
James Calloway
5 min read
History & Heritage
A Journey Through Hampstead's History
From a medieval manor to a bohemian retreat for London's greatest writers and thinkers — Hampstead's 900-year story is written in every cobblestone and Georgian doorway.
James Calloway
9 min read
History & Heritage
Famous Residents of Hampstead: The Blue Plaque Trail
Hampstead has more blue plaques per square mile than almost anywhere in Britain. A walk through the neighbourhood's commemorative history, from H.G. Wells to Sigmund Freud.
Beatrice Thornton
8 min read
History & Heritage
The Literary Ghosts of Hampstead: Writers Who Shaped the Village
Keats, Shelley, Orwell, du Maurier — Hampstead has been home to more writers per square mile than almost anywhere in England. Here is their story.
Oliver Hartwell
8 min read