Hampstead Village guided walk

A good way to explore London on foot is to join a guided walk. 'London Walks' is an organisation which conducts guided tours every day of the week and at all times of the day and evening. You simply meet up at the nearest tube station to the walk you have chosen. They normally take around two hours. 

My first walk was around Hampstead village. Hampstead has been described as London's skybox as it affords the best views in London.  The guide (Richard 111 - so called because there are five guides called Richard!) took us round the backstreets of the village showing us the houses of the rich and famous. It is a leafy, pretty suburb and you have to have plenty of money to live here!  The photo below shows Church Row - the finest Georgian street in London.

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 The Admiral's house is well worth a visit. It is situated in Admiral's walk off Hampstead Grove. The story goes that it belonged to an eighteenth century seadog who bought and sold slaves. The truth is a little more banal - it belonged indeed to a naval man - Lieutenant Fountain North. The house was designed to look like a ship with its railings, fo'c'sle and two cannon!

On Hampstead Heath there are 13 ponds. The picture below shows a dew-fed pond (as opposed to spring-fed). There are ramps at either end of the pond. In the days of horse-drawn traffic it was really hard work for the horses hauling carriages and wagons up the hill and the pond allowed the horses to have a drink and also, more importantly, to rehydrate the wooden wheels to ensure braking was possible on the way down.

At the top here there is a sensational panoramic view of London.

If you enjoy visiting National Trust properties there is a gem hidden among the houses. Fenton house is a 17th-century merchant's house virtually unaltered during more than 300 years of continuous occupation. There is an interesting collection of early keyboard instruments and a beautiful walled garden with topiary hedges and fine mixed borders. There was a magnificent view of London from a small balcony right at the top of the house. I enjoyed some peaceful moments sitting in the garden and resting my feet!