Written by Penna a Spillo
🗺️📍Follow my SoulMap™ and discover London like a local
🚶Category: London walks
🌳 Hampstead Village to Kenwood House: An Easy & Romantic London Walk
This is an easy and romantic walking tour to do in London: Hampstead Village to Kenwood House.
It’s a bit different from the usual tourist itineraries; it’s not too far from the city centre, but at the same time, it offers a wonderful opportunity to spend half a day away from traffic and congestion. You can easily complete the entire route in about half a day.
- Duration: ~3 to 4 hours (including breaks and a picnic)
- Starting point: Hampstead Tube Station (Northern Line)
- Ending point: Gospel Oak or Kentish Town Station
🏘️ Step 1: Discover Old-World Charm in Hampstead Village
At your arrival, you’ll find Hampstead Village, a little climb up the hill, quiet and charming, with that atmosphere of the perfect country village in the city typical of some parts of London.
Have you seen the movie Hampstead with Diane Keaton? Then you know what I mean.
Go ahead on Main Street, surrounded by beautiful shops and brick houses, then turn left on The Flask Walk, the prettiest little street in the neighbourhood.
Here you will find the antique market, the barbershop, the adorable flower shop with its artistic displays, and the Italian ice cream.
And in front of you, there is one of those colored pretty little doors that will make your day.
Go back to the main street and, just ahead, walk along another lovely street, on your right Perrin’s Ct.
Don’t forget to explore the lateral streets, because they are also full of surprises.
Go ahead along the road parallel to Main Street and stop to admire more colourful houses.
🍺 Step 2: Stop for Lunch at The Holly Bush
Then continue uphill until you reach the Holly Bush, one of the most romantic pubs in London, in my opinion.
If you have time, stop here for a beer or a quick lunch, enjoying the very romantic interiors.
👉 If you want to discover more lovely and romantic villages in London, check my article 5 Romantic Villages you shouldn’t miss in London
🌲 Step 3: Wander Through Hampstead Heath Park
Reach Hampstead Heath Park along the uphill road that leads to Kenwood House.
It takes about half an hour to get to this beautiful mansion where some scenes of the Movie Notting Hill were filmed.
Do you remember when Julia Robert / Anna Scott was shooting a movie and William Tucker/ Hugh Grant visiting her on the set?
Here, that one.
The Hampstead Heat Park is very impressive.
This is the kind of wild park that, in some places, looks like a forest and where, once inside, the space-time dimension is lost, and you completely forget to be in the middle of a city.
Somewhere you are surrounded by vegetation, and somewhere you have huge greens in front of you.
There are also parts completely wild
The unusual thing is the complete absence of city noises and the presence of just the sounds of the forest.
🏛️ Step 4: Arrive at Kenwood House & Enjoy a Picnic
Then, suddenly, appears Kenwood House, the beautiful and aristocratic white mansion with a huge green in front of it, full of school students sitting in the middle of the field drawing in their sketchbooks.
Buy some sandwiches and bring a blanket and stop here for a romantic picnic.
Remember that picnic in London is everything, daytime, evening, sumptuous or minimal, with a vintage basket and champagne or a few sandwiches and a bag of chips.
The important thing is the picnic mood.
🏙️ Step 5: Parliament Hill Viewpoint & Return
Walk along the park on the other side, returning to central London, towards Parliament Hill.
After a while, you will see the wonderful skyline of the city centre in the background, behind the trees.
You can exit here and take the Tube at Gospel Oak or Kentish Town to go back to the City Centre.
👉 Discover more
- You can have a look to 3 Easy Walking Tours in the Heart of London
- Download the FREE London Markets Guide
- Check my book “Alessandra in London – notes for discovering the city
- Subscribe to the free Penna a Spillo monthly Newsletter
