Thinking of moving to Hampstead Heath?
London’s millionaires’ village Hampstead Heath offers beautiful homes, exceptional schools and city amenities. This really is a beautiful place to live, with an abundance of green space and leafy streets, just 4 miles north of central London.
Hampstead Heath, in North London, has always been a chic and fashionable place to live. But now more than ever, the NW3 postcode stands for luxurious London living. Boasting multimillion-pound mansions, world class schools, great transport links and a low crime rate, it’s no wonder wealthy professionals, city bankers and entrepreneurs are scrambling to set up home here.
With its famous residents, both past and present, and impeccable good looks, Hampstead Heath is not just somewhere you move to, but somewhere you stay. In fact, the area has a disproportionate number of legacy families: those who have remained in the area for several generations, without moving out.
Hampstead Heath: the history
Originally a small village called West End, the area was renamed during the creation of the rail system to prevent confusion with the West End. However once West Hampstead was born, the area stayed relatively unchanged by development. This has resulted in the village and community feel of the area to this day.
Hampstead Heath has quite the famous history. Having been home to masters of the arts, sciences, and cultural and industrial revolutions; the area boasts many former and current well-known names.
The area also has a strong musical background: Dusty Springfield was born here, and both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones both spent time in the area. This creative and musical legacy has attracted artsy and creative residents to move to the area.
The Hampstead Heath culture
The Heath has a very unique feel that people flock to. The calming, community spirited, village feel offers a completely different lifestyle for city dwellers.
Thanks to the historic monuments, listed buildings and 800 acres of wild heathland, Hampstead is both beautiful and cultural. The sense of space here makes it feel like your own slice of the countryside, just 20 minutes from the city.
The area offers so much to residents and visitors alike. There is incredible shopping, with a mix of independent and high-end stores, and a real trend towards chic and upmarket retailers. And you could spend years trying every delicious place to eat and drink. The Horseshoe pub is the home of Camden Town Brewery, and the Artichoke juice bar is an institution.
And the Heath offers residents so much space and a wealth of things to do. Spend evenings after work enjoying a lazy stroll on Parliament Hill. Here you can enjoy unspoilt views of the city and it makes a great place for a picnic and a glass of bubbles. For the more active among us, the Heath is home to three famous outdoor swimming ponds, (one men’s, one women’s, one mixed) and Parliament Hill Lido.
If you’re looking to move to Hampstead Heath, let one of our local experts give you a personalised tour of all your soon to be favourite spots.
Things to do in Hampstead Heath
Here’s our ‘must do’ list for people new to Hampstead Heath:
• Visit Zebra One Gallery – you might even bump into A-list royalty while they peruse the art too.
• Admire Sayeh & Galton – this florist is a Hampstead institution, with breath taking window displays changing every few weeks.
• Stop by Oddono’s Gelati – for some of the most delicious ice cream. With 18 flavours of gelato and 4 sorbets, you’ll want to make a few trips to try them all.
• Eat at Jin Kichi – the high-end restaurant is our favourite place for authentic Japanese food.
• Visit Kenwood House – the impressive regency home with impeccably manicured grounds play host to art exhibitions and live opera and music performances all summer long.
• Stop by Hampstead Theatre – enjoy a show at the award-winning theatre, located in Swiss Cottage.
Hampstead Heath: where to live
New residents to the area are spoilt for choice. Hampstead Heath is full of incredible listed properties, Georgian houses, period cottages, large Victorian homes and huge Edwardian mansions.
If you’re a fan of architecture you’ll find some of the UK’s most influential and impressive creations here, with many famous architects having designed properties here. And thrown into the mix there are ultra-luxe modern apartment developments as well as converted apartments. It should be noted that some of the residential roads in the area do have restricted parking.
The property prices in Hampstead Heath are bolstered by the popularity of the area. So do expect to pay a premium to live in such a coveted area.
Average rental costs:
1 bed – £1650 per month
4 bed – £5200 per month
Average costs to buy:
1 bed – £580,000
4 bed – £2.8 million
If you’re looking to move to Hampstead Heath, we can help. Our Home finding experts make finding your dream home easy.
Family life and schools in Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is incredibly popular with families because of the exceptional number and quality of both private and state schools. It is particularly favoured by French expats that are drawn to the area by the international school Collège Français Bilingue de Londres. No matter where your family is moving from, you’re sure to find an amazing school that meets your needs.
There’s an incredible selection of private areas in the school.
Here are just some of the best:
St Anthony’s – boys’ school for ages 4-13
Devonshire House – Catholic co-ed school for ages 2-13
Maria Montessori – co-ed school for ages 2 – 12
University College Pre-Prep – boys’ school for ages 4 -7
King Alfred School – co-ed boys’ school for ages 5 – 18
With so many schools to choose from, why not save yourself time and hassle and let our School search specialists find the best school for your family’s needs.
Travel information
Hampstead Heath benefits from great transport links. The nearest rail/tube stations are Hampstead and Hampstead Heath which sit on the Jubilee Line, offers regular and fast transit around the capital. In just 10 minutes you can reach Bond Street, and it’s 20 minutes to London Bridge.
From West Hampstead station you can get the Overground line to Hackney in the east, as well as services out of London to the south coast (which is great for trips to Brighton beach).
The area is also well serviced by multiple bus routes that travel into the city and around the local boroughs.
How can we help with your move to Hampstead Heath?
We know how to make every move stress free. If you are looking to move to or from Hampstead Heath, we are here to help. We have the local knowledge, as well as 120 of experience in expert removals. No matter what your needs, we have the home moving knowledge to make your Hampstead Heath move easy.
