Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath is the London that visitors rarely expect: hundreds of acres of rolling grassland, ancient woodland, ponds and hills, so wild in places that you forget you are four miles from Trafalgar Square. It has been a place of escape for Londoners for centuries, and since 1989 it has been managed by the City of London Corporation, which keeps it free and open around the clock. The highlight for most visitors is Parliament Hill, where a protected view looks south across the whole of central London, from the dome of St Paul's to the Shard and Canary Wharf, a sight that is especially beautiful at sunset. The heath is also famous for swimming. A chain of ponds includes three bathing ponds, the men's, the ladies' and the mixed, where hardy locals swim year-round, plus the Parliament Hill Lido, an Art Deco open-air pool open all year. Swimming in the ponds and lido is charged and, at times, needs booking, so check before you go. On the northern edge stands Kenwood House, an elegant neoclassical villa remodelled by Robert Adam and now cared for by English Heritage. Entry is free, and its collection includes a celebrated late self-portrait by Rembrandt and Vermeer's The Guitar Player, among works by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Turner. Around the heath, the old village of Hampstead has narrow lanes, Georgian houses and some of London's most atmospheric pubs. Golders Hill Park, on the western side, has a small free zoo and formal gardens, and the Hill Garden and Pergola is a romantic, overgrown Edwardian walkway.

A good half-day walk starts at Hampstead Heath station on the Overground, climbs Parliament Hill for the view, then crosses the heath north past the ponds and through the woods to Kenwood House, about forty-five minutes at a gentle pace. After Kenwood's paintings and a break in its cafe, walk west along Hampstead Lane or back across the heath into Hampstead village for lunch at a pub, then exit from Hampstead station on the Northern line, one of the deepest stations on the Underground. Paths can be muddy after rain, so wear decent shoes, and a map or phone helps, as the heath's woods and meadows can be surprisingly disorienting.

Literary and artistic associations run deep. John Keats wrote poetry in Hampstead, and his house, now a museum, is near the heath; Constable painted the heath's skies; and the village has been home to writers, artists and thinkers for two centuries. In summer, the heath fills with picnickers and swimmers, and Kenwood occasionally hosts concerts by the lake. In autumn the woods are glorious, and on crisp winter days the view from Parliament Hill is at its sharpest.

Who should go? Anyone staying more than a few days who wants to see a different London, walkers and nature lovers, families with energy to burn, and couples looking for a free afternoon away from the crowds. It is not a manicured royal park, and that is its appeal. Pair it with Camden Market for a north London day, or with a Sunday roast in a Hampstead pub. Bring a picnic, a camera for the view and, if you are brave and have booked, a swimming costume. Note that facilities are spread out: there are cafes at Parliament Hill, Kenwood and Golders Hill Park, and toilets near each, but long stretches of the heath have neither, so plan your route accordingly and carry water on warm days. Dogs, joggers and kite-flyers share the paths, which is part of the heath's easy, local charm.