Wild Hampstead!

You may remember my recent post ‘My Favourite North London Hubs’, well this is a continuation of that theme!

Hampstead Heath is a green space situated in north London. As the title of this post suggests it has an amazing array of wildlife activity very reminiscent of something you would find in the countryside and not in a city like London.

The Heath has a long history and dates back to well over a thousand years. In modern times it is a haven for nature seekers or ramblers and is an ideal location to simply relax and breath.

Hampstead Heath is vast (790 acres) and is home to various natural habitats which includes wetlands, ponds, three natural swimming pools, and thirty normal ponds. It also boasts an array of fauna, such as; deer, moles, hedgehogs, many species of birds including woodpeckers and kingfishers. Then there are the trees such as oak and birch, some of which are around 400 years old or even older. The Heath also features an array of wildflowers and insect life.

Hampstead Heath is situated on high ground so the views across London are truly amazing! It’s also ideal for kite flyers on a gusty day! There are also some great walkways or you can simply sit somewhere in quiet reflection. It’s that kind of place. The Heath is open 24 hours! Midnight stroll anyone?!

Hampstead Heath is in the London Borough of Camden and is a very affluent area. Many of the houses there are huge and were built during the Georgian and Victorian era. As you can imagine, this location attracts the wealthy such as politicians and actors. I once spotted the actor Emma Thompson there many years ago!

Just like any other upmarket London suburb Hampstead has a quaint high street. However, The Heath is what interests me the most. It always did and always will.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time.

Sharon

Images courtesy of David Wilson – Unsplash and Lubos Houska – Pixabay.