If I live a good, moral life (well, I can always start now), I do not want to go to heaven because I’d much rather go to Hampstead.
In reality though, with property prices being what they are, the Hampstead Village and Heath Walking Tour is probably about as close as I am going to get – dead or alive! If you fancy a taste of the good life then this could be the walk for you, too.
The company behind the tour are the incredible London Walks. For those who don’t know – these guys are about as good as a walking tour company as exists anywhere in the English speaking world.
The Hampstead tour is delivered by a variety of London Walks guides including the incredibly charming David.
If you do not know the man already, David is one of London’s premiere guides. A historian, university lecturer, journalist, polymath and commited anglophile, David may hail from the US of A but so passionate is he about his adopted city that he didn’t just set up home here but actually bought the London Walks company himself!
Armed with a prestigious Blue Badge Guide and a funsize box of killer stories, David serves up a seemingly neverending parade of tasty tales and details about Hampstead. The two hours just fly by and at the end I am left begging for more.
If you’ve never been to Hampstead, then you are in for a treat. It is one of London’s most attractive villages. A delightful mix of urban and rural, with stunning architecture, perfectly preserved Georgian townhouses, a multitude of pretty walks and a 900-acre heath right on the doorstep.
The area is thick with history too, but we won’t spoil it for you. Just buy a ticket for the tour. You certainly won’t regret it!
The Hampstead Village Walking Tour takes place weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays. More information about the event can be found here.
For information on ways to entertain yourself at home can be found here.
