London’s Hilltop Haven: A Hampstead Walking Tour

Hampstead is London’s intellectual heartland and, arguably, its poshest village. On this fascinating walking tour, you’ll hear how this hilltop haven became the favoured residence of Prime Ministers, millionaires, artists, and left-wing thinkers alike.

Starting outside Hampstead Underground Station, you’ll walk through elegant Georgian streets where property values are among Britain’s highest. I’ll show you where socialism flourished, giving the area its reputation as the home of ‘Champagne Socialism.’ From the leafy heights of Hampstead Heath to secluded garden squares and historic churchyards, you’ll trace the evolution of this unique enclave from its origins as a fashionable spa town to the liberal artistic hub it is today.

The tour winds through narrow lanes and past grand mansions, revealing how the powerful residents of Hampstead have successfully preserved its heritage despite centuries of growth. You’ll discover connections to Oscar Wilde, the Beatles, and D.H. Lawrence, while learning how the village has produced more political leaders and artistic innovators than anywhere else in Britain.

As you make your way to Flask Walk, where the tour ends, you’ll have a chance to:

• See the graves of Labour Party leader Hugh Gaitskell, comedian Peter Cook, and the tomb of John Constable (the artist behind The Haywain), all in the shadows of St John at Hampstead Church
• Stand before H.G. Wells’ former home, where the science fiction pioneer wrote The History of Mr. Polly while entertaining Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw
• Stroll down Church Row, described by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as ”the best street in Hampstead,” where Lord Alfred Douglas (Oscar Wilde’s ”Bosie”) once lived
• Learn about the historic Chalybeate Well that transformed Hampstead into a fashionable spa resort in the 1700s
• See Admiral’s House and learn how it inspired P.L. Travers’ character Admiral Boom in Mary Poppins
• Spot blue heritage plaques marking the former homes of Robert Louis Stevenson, George du Maurier, Sir Henry Dale and Sir Flinders Petrie
• Admire the Everyman Cinema, which opened in 1920 as one of Britain’s first art-house theaters before becoming a boutique cinema that served wine instead of popcorn

By the end of this 90-minute Hampstead tour, you’ll have learned about the village that’s contributed more to Britain’s artistic, literary, and political life than any other London neighborhood.