parklandviews

Hampstead Heath: the high loop

Parliament Hill, the ponds, Kenwood, and the view that ruins all other views.

Distance

5.5 km

Time

~ 100 min

Start

Hampstead Heath Overground

End

Hampstead Heath Overground

Best at

evening

Right now

28°C· Clear

12 nearby transit lines disrupted — Waterloo & City, District.

Open in Maps for turn-by-turn, or take it offline as GPX.

The Heath is the reason London has a soul and Paris has a skyline. Five and a half kilometres up and around and back, covering the four things that matter: Parliament Hill for the view, the ponds for the sound, Kenwood for the art, and the Pergola for the oh-my-god.

Start at South End Green — coffee from Ginger & White, then straight up Parliament Hill. There's no trick to it; just walk, and London lifts itself up to meet you. From the top, drop down to the ponds and follow the chain north to the men's pond fence, which I find more atmospheric than the swimmers', though the women's is genuinely wonderful too.

Kenwood is the middle of the walk and the middle of the afternoon. You don't have to go into the house, but you should; it's free and the Rembrandt self-portrait is the quietest, best thing. Tea on the terrace after.

Then west to the Pergola, which is a secret that seems to stay secret despite appearing in every guidebook. Walk it slowly. End with the descent through the Vale of Health and the one-stop Overground back.

The route

On the map.

A soft dashed line, numbered stops. It’s a suggestion, not a turn-by-turn.

Elevation

↑ 226 m·↓ 226 m·43–136 m ASL

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

01
1
South End Green
Start with a coffee from Ginger & White. The walk's a proper hill; a caffeine runway helps.
01
South End Green
Start with a coffee from Ginger & White. The walk's a proper hill; a caffeine runway helps.
2
Parliament Hill summit
Twenty minutes up and the whole city is laid out for you. Bring binoculars if you're serious; bring a friend if you're not.
Photo: Darsheni / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
02
Parliament Hill summit
Twenty minutes up and the whole city is laid out for you. Bring binoculars if you're serious; bring a friend if you're not.
03
3
Highgate Men's Pond
You don't have to swim. Just walk along the wooden fence; the trees feel ancient and the swimmers are reliably cheerful.
03
Highgate Men's Pond
You don't have to swim. Just walk along the wooden fence; the trees feel ancient and the swimmers are reliably cheerful.
4
Kenwood House
Free entry, Rembrandt in the drawing room, tea on the terrace. A heath walk that skips Kenwood is a lesser heath walk.
Photo: MrsEllacott / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
04
Kenwood House
Free entry, Rembrandt in the drawing room, tea on the terrace. A heath walk that skips Kenwood is a lesser heath walk.
05
5
The Pergola & Hill Garden
An overgrown Edwardian folly on the Heath's western edge. Somehow almost always empty. Go even if you have to double back.
05
The Pergola & Hill Garden
An overgrown Edwardian folly on the Heath's western edge. Somehow almost always empty. Go even if you have to double back.
06
6
Hampstead Heath station
You'll come down through the Vale of Health, past the fair ground if it's running. The Overground takes you back in one stop.
06
Hampstead Heath station
You'll come down through the Vale of Health, past the fair ground if it's running. The Overground takes you back in one stop.

Hampstead Heath: the high loop

On the map.

Things to notice.

South End Green

South End Green

Parliament Hill summit

Parliament Hill summit

Highgate Men's Pond

Highgate Men's Pond

Kenwood House

Kenwood House

The Pergola & Hill Garden

The Pergola & Hill Garden

Hampstead Heath station

Hampstead Heath station

Two more, on similar days.

Primrose Hill & Regent's Park at sunset

Highgate: village, cemetery, wood