We hope you are enjoying our Camden at 60 blog series celebrating the many diverse areas that make up the borough. This week, Camden Guide, Lettie Mckie gives us a glimpse of Hampstead and Highgate – two historic northern villages whose charm, character and architectural heritage reveal just how varied Camden really is. If this whets your appetite, why not book on one of her guided walks exploring these areas?
Both villages have a vast array of beautiful historic architecture, and some of the buildings are much older than you might expect. The oldest house in Hampstead is Fenton House dates from 1686 whilst Lauderdale House in Highgate is Elizabethan. Both feature on my tours, which explore how each area developed in the first place and cover stories of some of their most fascinating and famous former residents. As their names suggest both Hampstead and Highgate were for many centuries villages on the outskirts of London, sitting above the city on its ‘northern heights’, offering fantastic views of the city below. Both retain a largely unspoilt charm on their historic high streets and because of the vast expanse of the Heath that sits between them, both preserved through the efforts of passionate local campaigners past and present.
But don’t let these similarities fool you into thinking Hampstead and Highgate are identical. Both deserve a visit to experience their unique characters, which are due to the very different influences that have shaped the development of each place. Hampstead Village first became a popular destination in the 18th Century because it became a Spa town where people to came to drink the so-called ‘healing waters’ at a pump room on Well Walk. But Highgate’s history was very different stretching back to the 14th Century when a tollgate was opened linking London with the North. This meant Highgate Hill was an important thoroughfare for drovers bringing livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, and geese) down to Smithfield Market in the City of London for slaughter, resulting in many inns opening up along the route to service the needs of people using the road.
If you’d like to hear more, come along to one of my tours with Heritage Guides during August and September, available to book here.
Historic Homes of Hampstead Village on 20th September.
Highlights of Historic Highgate in partnership with Lauderdale House on 24th and 31st August.
By Lettie Mckie
