Hampstead Pergola & Hill Garden
a faded Edwardian dream above the Heath
A romantic Edwardian pergola draped in wisteria and vines above Hampstead Heath, gently crumbling and entirely free.
Free to visit · Hampstead · Hampstead · NW3 7SS
Opening: Daily, roughly 8:30am to dusk
The Hill Garden and Pergola is one of London's great romantic secrets, a raised Edwardian walkway built for the soap magnate Lord Leverhulme so his guests could promenade above the Heath. A century on it has gone gloriously soft at the edges, stone columns wrapped in wisteria and climbing roses, with views out over the treetops, and it is completely free.
Below the pergola sits a formal hill garden with a lily pond and lawns, quiet and well kept, so you get both the wild faded grandeur above and a calm garden below. It is a favourite for photographers and couples, yet because it takes a short climb to reach it never feels overrun.
Wander the long terrace, lean on the balustrade and look out across the West Heath, and you would never guess you were minutes from one of the busiest parts of north London.
Getting there: A walk up through the West Heath from Hampstead station, off Inverforth Close.
Best time to go: Late May for the wisteria, or a misty morning when the place looks like a film set.
Insider tip: Come for the wisteria in late May, early in the morning before the photographers arrive. The light through the columns at that hour is the whole reason people fall in love with the place.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide