Hampstead Heath

Public open space in London, England

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath extension towards Barnet

Location within the London Borough of Camden

Type| Public park
Location| London, England
Coordinates| 51°33′37″N 0°9′39″W﻿ / ﻿51.56028°N 0.16083°W﻿ / 51.56028; -0.16083
Area| 790 acres (320 ha)
Operated by| City of London Corporation
Status| Open year round
Website| City of London: Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath is an ancient heath in London, spanning 320 hectares (790 acres).[1] This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay.[2] The heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, a lido, playgrounds, and a training track, and it adjoins the former stately home of Kenwood House and its estate. The south-east part of the heath is Parliament Hill, from which the view over London is protected by law.

Running along its eastern perimeter is a chain of ponds – including three open-air public swimming pools – which were originally reservoirs for drinking water from the River Fleet. The heath is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation,[3] and part of Kenwood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Lakeside concerts are held there in summer. The heath is managed by the City of London Corporation, and lies mostly within the London Borough of Camden with the adjoining Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park in the London Borough of Barnet.

## History

[edit]

### Early history

[edit]

Archaeological discoveries on Hampstead Heath, including tools from the Mesolithic, pits, postholes, and charred stones, point to the presence of a hunter-gatherer community around 7000 BC.[4]

Documentary evidence of Hampstead Heath dates from 986, when Ethelred the Unready granted five hides of land at "Hemstede" to the Abbot of Westminster. This same land is later recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as held by the monastery of St. Peter's at Westminster Abbey, and by then is known as the "Manor of Hampstead".[5] Westminster held the land until 1133 when control of part of the manor was released to Richard de Balta; then during Henry II's reign the whole of the manor became privately owned by Alexander de Barentyn, the King's butler.

### 19th century legal and political battles

[edit]

Hampstead Heath by Philip James de Loutherbourg, 1787, Road to the Spaniards, Hampstead by John Constable, 1822

In 1767, the Manor of Hampstead and the estate which went with it came into the possession of the Wilson family following the marriage of General Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson, sixth baronet, to Jane Weller, niece and heir of the Revd. John Maryon. The estate consisted of 416 acres (168 ha), being mainly farmland to the west and north west of the village and including the heath.[6][7]

From 1808 to 1814 Hampstead Heath hosted a station in the shutter telegraph chain which connected the Admiralty in London to its naval ships in the port of Great Yarmouth.[8]

In 1821 Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, eighth baronet, inherited the estate from his father. The construction of the Finchley Road through Hampstead promised to open up the land for development, but under the terms of his father's will, Sir Thomas could neither sell any of the land nor grant leases on it for periods greater than 21 years, thus making it unsuitable for building.[7][9]

In 1829 Sir Thomas tried to circumvent the will by promoting a bill in Parliament which would have allowed him to grant leases of up to 99 years. This was a straightforward procedure and would normally have been passed without difficulty. But because the bill included a provision to build on the heath, it attracted considerable opposition. This came partly from individuals who held certain rights under the ancient system of copyhold, and also from influential figures who valued the heath as a natural asset and a place of recreation. The bill was passed by the House of Lords but was rejected by the House of Commons.[7]

In 1830 Sir Thomas lodged a second bill. This specifically excluded the heath from development, but it did not exclude the 60 acres (24 ha) East Park Estate which lay between the eastern part of the heath and Lord Mansfield's estate at Kenwood and Parliament Hill Fields. This bill also attracted opposition, on the grounds that if building was allowed on the East Park Estate, the East Heath would be surrounded by houses and its natural beauty would be lost. This bill also failed.[10]

Sir Thomas was to spend most of the rest of his life trying to obtain permission to grant leases for building. The matter became a cause célèbre, with the opposition being led by such influential figures as John Gurney Hoare and Lord Mansfield.[7][11]

Although unable to grant leases for building, there was nothing to prevent Sir Thomas from undertaking his own building work. In the mid 1840s, he drew up plans to build 28 villas on the East Park Estate. Work was started on an access road, a wall and a gamekeeper's hut, remnants of which still survive. However, because of landslips and problems of water penetration, attempts to build a viaduct to carry the road failed and the entire project was abandoned.[11][12]

In 1866 the Hampstead Heath Protection Fund Committee was formed, a forerunner of the Heath & Hampstead Society which still campaigns to protect the heath.[13]

In 1869 Sir Thomas died and the estate passed to his brother, Sir John Maryon Wilson. By now there was considerable pressure for public ownership of the heath. This was led by the Commons Preservation Society, which had been formed in 1865 with the specific aim of protecting common land.[14]

United Kingdom legislation

Hampstead Heath Act 1871

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act for effecting a transfer to the Metropolitan Board of Works of the open space known as Hampstead Heath, and for enabling them to preserve, improve, and regulate the same; and for other purposes.
Citation| 34 & 35 Vict. c. lxxvii
Dates
Royal assent| 29 June 1871
Text of statute as originally enacted

In 1870 the Metropolitan Board of Works agreed to buy the heath on behalf of the public at a cost of £45,000 plus £2,000 for legal fees. The board also agreed to compensate the copyholders for the loss of their rights.[15] The Hampstead Heath Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. lxxvii) was passed, stating that it would be "of great advantage to the inhabitants of the Metropolis if the Heath were always kept unenclosed and unbuilt on, its natural aspect and state being as far as may be preserved."[12][16]

Pressure then grew to purchase the East Park Estate and the 200 acres (81 ha) Parliament Hill Fields, but no funds were available for this. A public fund-raising campaign was launched, led by the philanthropist Baroness Burdett-Coutts and the campaigner Octavia Hill.[12] This succeeded in raising the required £300,000, and in 1899 the East Park Estate and Parliament Hill Fields were added to the heath.[7][17]

### Later extensions

[edit]

The Heath was further extended in 1898 with the purchase of Golders Hill Park for £38,000 from the estate of Sir Thomas Spencer Wells.[18][19]

In 1904 following a campaign led by Henrietta Barnett, Wyldes Farm was purchased from Eton College. This land too was added to the Heath, and it is now known as the Heath Extension. The rest of Wyldes Farm was purchased by Henrietta Barnett to found the Hampstead Garden Suburb.[20] Another fund-raising campaign led by Arthur Crosfield enabled part of Kenwood to be purchased. This land was added to the Heath in 1922. Finally, Kenwood House and its adjacent ground were incorporated into the Heath in 1928 following a bequest by their owner, the Earl of Iveagh.[20][21]

### Railway controversy

[edit]

A fresh controversy arose in 1900 when the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway submitted a parliamentary bill for an underground railway line between Hampstead and Golders Green. The company already had powers to build a line from Charing Cross to Hampstead, terminating at a station in Heath Street. That line would follow the course of existing streets and was therefore uncontroversial. The proposed extension, however, would involve tunnelling under part of the Heath. The Heath & Hampstead Society opposed the scheme on the basis that the tunnels would drain the sub-soil and that the vibration of passing trains would damage trees. The campaign received support from The Times, which published a strongly-worded editorial opposing the railway.[22] But the claims were refuted by the railway company, who argued that the tunnels would be passing through impermeable clay at a depth of more than 200 feet (61 m) and would therefore have no effect on the Heath's ecology.[23]

The bill was passed by Parliament, receiving its royal assent on 18 November 1902.[24] The line, from Charing Cross to Golders Green, was opened in 1907. It now forms part of the London Underground Northern line.

### Recent developments

[edit]

Corporation of London sign on the south-west edge of the heath

The City of London Corporation has managed the heath since 1989.[25] Before that it was managed by the Greater London Council (GLC) and before that by the London County Council (LCC).

In 2021 Quiet Parks International, a non-profit organisation whose aim is to identify locations around the world that remain free from human-made noise for at least brief periods, gave Hampstead Heath "Urban Quiet Park" status.[26]

In September 2023 sheep made a return to Hampstead Heath as part of an initiative by the City of London Corporation. The initiative aimed to enhance biodiversity through controlled grazing, utilizing a flock of five rare-breed Norfolk Horn and Oxford Down. This followed a successful trial in 2019 which was the first instance of sheep grazing on the Heath since the 1950s.[27][28][29]

## Geography

[edit]

Part of the heath sits astride a sandy ridge that runs from east to west and rests on a band of London clay. Its highest point is at 134 metres (440 ft).[30][31] As the sand was easily penetrated by rainwater which was then held by the clay, a landscape of swampy hollows, springs and man-made excavations was created.[2] Hampstead Heath contains the largest single area of common land in Greater London, with 144.93 hectares (358.1 acres) of protected commons.[32]

Public transport near the heath includes:

* London Overground railway stations: Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak
* London Underground stations: Hampstead and Belsize Park to the south; Golders Green to the north-west; Highgate and Archway to the east and Kentish Town to the south-east.

Buses serve several roads around the heath.

## Areas of the heath

[edit]

The heath's 320 hectares (790 acres) include a number of distinct areas.

### Whitestone, Highgate and Hampstead Ponds

[edit]

Main article: Hampstead Heath Ponds

Hampstead Heath has over 25 ponds; most of these are in two distinct areas: the Highgate Ponds and the Hampstead Ponds.

#### Whitestone Pond

[edit]

Whitestone Pond is a roughly triangular pond, centrally located on the heath's south side and north-northwest of Queen Mary's House (formerly a care home and before that a maternity hospital), across busy Heath Street (A502). Originally a small dew pond called the Horse Pond, it was renamed after a waypoint stone and is artificially fed.[33] It has an exposed location, closely surrounded by roads, which limits its recreational use. It is the heath's best known body of water, and many people's introduction to Hampstead Heath's ponds.

#### Highgate Ponds

[edit]

Hampstead Heath's Model Boating Pond (Highgate Pond No. 3)

Highgate Ponds are a series of eight former reservoirs, on the heath's east (Highgate) side, and were originally dug in the 17th and 18th centuries.[34] They include two single-sex swimming pools (the men's and ladies' bathing ponds), a model boating pond, and two ponds which serve as wildlife reserves: the Stock Pond and the Bird Sanctuary Pond. Fishing is allowed in some of the ponds, although this is threatened by proposals to modify the dams.

The ponds are the result of the 1777 damming of Hampstead Brook (one of the Fleet River's sources), by the Hampstead Water Company, which was formed in 1692 to meet London's growing water demands.[2]

"Boudicca's Mound", near the present men's bathing pond, is a tumulus where, according to local legend, Queen Boudicca (Boadicea) was buried after she and 10,000 Iceni warriors were defeated at Battle Bridge.[35] However, historical drawings and paintings of the area show no mound other than a 17th-century windmill.

#### Hampstead Ponds

[edit]

Hampstead Pond No. 1

The Hampstead Ponds are three ponds in the heath's south-west corner, towards South End Green. Hampstead Pond No. 3 is the mixed bathing pond, where both sexes may swim.

#### Pond maintenance

[edit]

In 2004 the City of London Corporation, rejected a proposal by the Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club to allow "early-morning, self-regulated swimming in the mixed sex pond on Hampstead Heath"; the Corporation argued that it risked legal action by the Health and Safety Executive if it allowed such swimming, since the Executive had refused to give assurances to the Corporation that it would not be prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The swimmers successfully challenged this in the High Court, which in 2005 ruled that members of the swimming club had the right to swim at their own risk, and that the Corporation would not be liable under the Act for injuries as a result.[36][37]

In January 2011 the City of London announced a scheme which it said would improve the safety of the dams, to guard against damage that might result from a very large, but rare storm hitting London. The proposed engineering modifications of the dams were aimed at ensuring that three dams complied with the 1975 Reservoir Act. With the passage of the 2010 Flood and Water Management Act the City of London was advised that all the dams on the heath would need to comply with the reservoir safety regulations. The proposed works in 2011 included recommendations to improve the water quality of the lake, which had suffered from algae blooms. The proposals for the pond dams were extensively modified in 2012–2014. The proposals were challenged by a consortium of groups and societies collectively called "Dam Nonsense". However, with the dam project being now completed, many locals have begun to accept the changes as wildlife begins to soften the border between the artificial and the natural in this area.

### Caen Wood Towers

[edit]

To the north east of the heath is a derelict site within the conservation area comprising the grounds and mansion of the former Caen Wood Towers (renamed Athlone House in 1972). This historic building, currently in disrepair, was built in 1872 for Edward Brooke, aniline dye manufacturer (architect, Edward Salomons). In 1942 the building was taken for war service by the Royal Air Force and was used to house the RAF Intelligence School, although the 'official' line was that it was a convalescence hospital. The Operational Record (Form 540) of RAF Station Highgate (currently in the National Archives, Kew) was declassified in the late 1990s and shows the true role of this building in wartime service. The building sustained 2 near misses from V-1 flying bombs in late 1944, causing damage and injuries to staff. The RAF Intelligence School remained in Caen Wood Towers until 1948, when the building was handed over to the Ministry of Health. It was then used as a hospital and finally a post-operative recovery lodge, before falling into disrepair in the 1980s. The NHS sold off this part of their estate in 2004 to a private businessman who is currently redeveloping much of the site; however the House and its gardens fall within the conservation area of Hampstead Heath.

### Parliament Hill Fields

[edit]

Main article: Parliament Hill, London

Parliament Hill Fields lies on the south and east of the heath. It officially became part of the heath in 1888. It contains various sporting facilities including an athletics track, tennis courts and Parliament Hill Lido.[38] Parliament Hill itself is considered by some to be the focal point of the heath,[39] with the highest part of it known to some as "Kite Hill" due to its suitability for kite flying.[40] The hill is 98.1 metres (322 ft) high and is notable for its excellent views of the London skyline. The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the City of London can be seen, along with St Paul's Cathedral and other landmarks, all in one panorama, parts of which are protected views. The main staff yards for the management of the heath are located at Parliament Hill Fields.[25]

In the south-east of the heath, on the southern slopes of Parliament Hill, is the Gospel Oak Lido open air swimming pool, with a running track and fitness area to its north. Parliament Hill Fields was successfully defended from development in the late 19th Century by Octavia Hill and the Commons Preservation Society.[41]

Kenwood House false bridge

### Kenwood

[edit]

Main article: Kenwood House

The area to the north of the heath is the Kenwood Estate and House – a total area of 50 hectares (120 acres) which is maintained by English Heritage. This became part of the heath when it was bequeathed to the nation by Lord Iveagh on his death in 1927, and opened to the public in 1928. The original house dates from the early 17th century. The orangery was added in about 1700.

### Hampstead Heath Woods

[edit]

Main article: Hampstead Heath Woods

One third of the Kenwood estate (Ken Wood and North Wood) is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated by Natural England.[42][43]

Leading down to the Vale of Health

### The Vale of Health

[edit]

The Vale of Health is a hamlet accessed by a lane from East Heath Road; it is surrounded entirely by the heath. In 1714, one Samuel Hatch, a harness maker, built a workshop and was granted some land. By 1720, he had a cottage at what was subsequently called Hatch's or Hatchett's Bottom. A new name, regarded as a deliberate attempt to change the image of a developing location, the Vale of Health, was recorded in 1801.[44]

### Extension

[edit]

The Extension is an open space to the north-west of the main heath. It does not share the history of common and heathland of the rest of the heath. Instead it was created out of farmland, largely due to the efforts of Henrietta Barnett who went on to found Hampstead Garden Suburb. Its farmland origins can still be seen in the form of old field boundaries, hedgerows and trees.

### The Hill Garden and Pergola

[edit]

Main article: Inverforth House

Part of the Hill Garden and Pergola seen in 2008

The Hill Garden and Pergola lie to the west of Inverforth House (formerly The Hill), and were laid out from 1906 by Thomas Hayton Mawson as private gardens for Lord Leverhulme.[45][46] After neglect in recent decades the garden and pergola are in the care of the City of London Corporation, are being restored, and are open to the public but locked at night.[47][48] Several buildings within the garden are individually listed at grade II* or grade II. Those at grade II* include: the summerhouse at the western end of the pergola, which has extensive views over Hampstead Heath towards Harrow on the Hill;[49] a summerhouse to the south of the garden;[50] the southern pergola and terrace;[51] the Cruciform pergola;[52] a bridge;[53] the Central Temple summerhouse;[54] and the western pergola.[55] The structures listed at grade II are: the pond and its architectural surround;[56] and the garden terrace steps.[57]

### Golders Hill Park

[edit]

Main article: Golders Hill Park

Golders Hill Park is a formal park adjoining the West Heath. It occupies the site of a large house that was bombed during World War II. It has an expanse of grass, with a formal flower garden, a duck pond and a separate water garden that leads to a separate area for deer, near a recently renovated small zoo. The zoo has donkeys, maras, ring-tailed lemurs, ring-tailed coatis, white-cheeked turacos and European eagle-owls, among other animals. There are also tennis courts, a butterfly house and a putting green.[58]

Unlike most of the rest of the heath, Golders Hill Park is fenced in, and is closed at night.

## Site of Special Scientific Interest

[edit]

Main article: Hampstead Heath Woods

Ken Wood and North Wood are a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest called Hampstead Heath Woods, designated by Natural England.[59]

## Constabulary

[edit]

Main article: Hampstead Heath Constabulary

The heath is policed by the Hampstead Heath Constabulary, part of the City of London Corporation. Its constables are:

> called upon to enforce Byelaws, Common Law and Criminal Law, protect City of London property and provide a response to any incident that may disrupt the enjoyment of users of these sites.[60]

From their inauguration until 24 May 2018 some constables worked with general purpose dogs, all licensed to NPCC/Home Office standards. They have been responsible for patrolling the Heath since 1992.[61][62]

## Activities

[edit]

The heath is home to a range of activities, including 16 different sports.[25] It is used by walkers, runners, swimmers and kite-flyers. Running events include the weekly parkrun[63] and the annual Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK. Until February 2007 Kenwood held a series of popular lakeside concerts.

Facilities include an athletics track, a pétanque pitch, a volleyball court and eight separate children's play areas, including an adventure playground.[25]

Swimming takes place all year round in two of the three natural swimming ponds: the men's pond which opened in the 1890s, and the ladies' pond which opened in 1925. The mixed pond is only open from May to September, though it is the oldest, having been in use since the 1860s.[64]

The West Heath is regarded as a night-time gay cruising ground.[65] George Michael revealed that he cruised on the heath,[66] an activity he then parodied on the Extras Christmas Special.[67]

## In popular culture

[edit]

Keats Listening to a Nightingale on Hampstead Heath by Joseph Severn, 1845

While living in London, Karl Marx and his family went to the heath regularly, as their favourite outing.[68]

John Atkinson Grimshaw, Victorian-era painter, painted an elaborate night-time scene of Hampstead Hill in oils. Hampstead Heath also provided the backdrop for the opening scene in Victorian writer Wilkie Collins' novel The Woman in White.[citation needed]

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula is partly set on Hampstead Heath, in scenes when the undead Lucy abducts children playing on the heath.[citation needed]

Hampstead Heath forms part of the location for G. K. Chesterton's fictional story "The Blue Cross" from The Innocence of Father Brown.[69] The Heath is mentioned in Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony no. 2 'A London Symphony' with the subtitle 'Hampstead Heath on an August Bank Holiday'.

The photos used for the cover of The Kinks' LP The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society were taken on the Heath in August 1968. In some photographs, Witanhurst is visible in the background.[citation needed]

Notting Hill (1999) featured scenes shot at the heath, located primarily around Kenwood House, where Julia Roberts' character was filming a movie.[70]

In 2005, Giancarlo Neri's sculpture The Writer, a 9-metre-tall table and chair, was exhibited on Hampstead Heath.[71]

The film Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006) was shot entirely on Hampstead Heath.[72]

Colin Wilson slept rough (in a sleeping bag) on Hampstead Heath to save money when he was working on his first novel, Ritual in the Dark.[73]

In John le Carré's novel Smiley's People, the heath is the murder scene of General Vladimir, a pivotal event that leads to the downfall of George Smiley's nemesis Karla.[citation needed]

Hampstead is a 2017 film directed by Joel Hopkins about Harry Hallowes, who claimed squatter's rights on a corner of the heath on which he lived in a makeshift camp.

Taylor Swift mentions the heath in her song So Long, London off her album The Tortured Poets Department.

## Gallery

[edit]

"Gherkin" ┐

┌ Tower 42

┌ St Paul's

London Eye ┐

┌ BT Tower

Panorama of London from Kenwood (after completion of the Gherkin in 2003 but before the building of the Heron Tower in 2009–10).

* Kenwood House

* The Vale of Health

* The Writer, temporary structure in 2005

* Arsenal F.C.'s Emirates Stadium viewed from Hampstead Heath

* View towards St Jude's church in Hampstead Garden Suburb from the Heath extension

A panoramic image of London from Parliament Hill, late 2010 (the Shard can be seen under construction behind St Paul's Cathedral)

## See also

[edit]

* London portal

* List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London
* Camden parks and open spaces
* Barnet parks and open spaces
* Nature reserves in Barnet

## References

[edit]

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61. ^ "Hampstead Heath Constabulary Annual Report 2015–16". 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
62. ^ "Agenda item - *Hampstead Heath Constabulary Update". democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
63. ^ "Hampstead Heath parkrun – Weekly Free 5 km Timed Run". Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
64. ^ "Greater London Authority – Press Release". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008.
65. ^ "Gay venue search: Pink UK". pinkuk.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
66. ^ Howard, Patrick (30 July 2006). "Personal Column: 'I go with gay strangers. We have our own code'". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
67. ^ O'Donovan, Gerard (28 December 2007). "Last night on television: Extras Christmas Special (BBC1) – Battleship Antarctica (Channel 4)". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 1 January 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
68. ^ Mehring, Franz (2003). Karl Marx: The Story of His Life. Routledge. p. 247\. ISBN 978-0-415-31333-9. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
69. ^ Chesterton, G. K. The Innocence of Father Brown. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
70. ^ "UK: Royals out in force for wedding". BBC News. 9 July 1999. Archived from the original on 8 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
71. ^ Moggach, Deborah; Richard Jinman (23 June 2005). "Heath's literary tribute makes handy goalposts". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 September 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
72. ^ Braun, Liz. "Sexual Nature all talk". Jam! Showbiz. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
73. ^ Desert Island Discs Archive: 1976–1980

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Bathurst, David (2012). Walking the county high points of England. Chichester: Summersdale. ISBN 978-1-84-953239-6.
* Fisher Unwin, T. (1913). Hampstead Heath: Its Geology and Natural History. London: Hampstead Scientific Society.
* Hewlett, Janet (1997). Nature Conservation in Barnet. London Ecology Unit. ISBN 1-871045-27-4.
* Thompson, F.M.L. (1974). Hampstead: building a borough, 1650-1964. London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 0710077475.
* Weinreb, Ben; Hibbert, Christopher (2010). The London Encyclopaedia. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1405049252.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hampstead Heath.

* The official Hampstead Heath pages on the City of London website
* Hampstead Heath map
* Comprehensive and detailed website for Hampstead Heath
* History of Hampstead Heath

* v
* t
* e

Parks and open spaces in London

Royal parks|

* Bushy
* Green
* Greenwich
* Hyde
* Kensington
* Regent's
* Richmond
* St James's

Large urban parks|

* Alexandra
* Arnos
* Barking
* Barra Hall
* Battersea
* Beckenham Place Park
* Blackheath
* Brockwell
* Burgess
* Charlton
* Clissold
* Crystal Palace
* Dulwich
* Enfield Town
* Finsbury
* Forster Memorial
* Hampstead Heath
* Hanworth
* Holland
* Mayesbrook
* Mountsfield
* Old Deer
* Parsloes
* Primrose Hill
* Pymmes
* Queen's Park
* Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
* Ravenscourt
* Ruskin
* Southwark
* Valentines
* Victoria
* Wandsworth
* Wanstead
* Waterlow Park
* West Ham
* Wimbledon

Country parks|

* Bayhurst Wood
* Bedfont Lakes
* Belhus Woods
* Eastbrookend
* Fairlop Waters
* Foots Cray
* Fryent
* Hainault Forest
* Havering
* High Elms
* Hornchurch
* Lee Valley
* South Norwood
* Stanmore
* Stockley
* Trent

Commons|

* Barnes
* Blackheath
* Bostall Heath
* Clapham
* Ealing
* East Sheen
* Eel Brook
* Eltham
* Hackney Marshes
* Hainault Forest
* Ham
* Hampstead Heath
* Hayes
* Keston
* Mitcham
* Monken Hadley
* Peckham Rye
* Plumstead
* Stanmore
* Streatham
* Sutton
* Tooting
* Tylers
* Wandsworth
* Wimbledon and Putney
* Winn's
* Woolwich
* Wormwood Scrubs

Village greens|

* Camberwell
* Crooked Billet
* Islington
* Kew
* Newington
* Parsons
* Richmond
* Shepherd's Bush
* Turnham
* Twickenham

Marshes and wetlands|

* Crayford
* Erith
* Hackney
* Hornchurch
* Ickenham
* Ingrebourne
* Leyton
* Rainham, Wennington, and Aveley
* Tottenham
* Walthamstow
* Woodberry Wetlands
* WWT London Wetland Centre

Woodland|

* Bostall
* Braeburn
* Coldfall
* Copse
* Dulwich
* Epping Forest
* Grangewood Park
* Highgate
* Lesnes Abbey
* Mad Bess
* Old Park
* Oxleas
* Park
* Petts
* Queen's
* Repository Woods
* Russia Dock
* Sydenham Hill

House gardens|

* Avenue House
* Belair Park
* Boston Manor Park
* Broomfield House
* Cannizaro Park
* Chiswick House
* Danson Park
* Grovelands Park
* Grove Park
* Gunnersbury Park
* Hall Place
* Hampton Court Park
* Hillingdon Court
* Kenwood House
* Lamorbey Park
* Langtons
* Manor House Gardens
* Marble Hill Park
* Morden Hall Park
* Morden Park
* Osterley Park
* Syon House
* Valence House Museum
* Walpole Park

Entry-fee charging|

* Kew Gardens
* London Wetland Centre

Community gardens|

* Phoenix Garden

* v
* t
* e

Parks and open spaces by London borough

* Barking and Dagenham
* Barnet
* Bexley
* Brent
* Bromley
* Camden
* Croydon
* Ealing
* Enfield
* Greenwich
* Hackney
* Hammersmith and Fulham
* Haringey
* Harrow
* Havering
* Hillingdon
* Hounslow
* Islington
* Kensington and Chelsea
* Kingston upon Thames
* Lambeth
* Lewisham
* Merton
* Newham
* Redbridge
* Richmond upon Thames
* Southwark
* Sutton
* Tower Hamlets
* Waltham Forest
* Wandsworth
* City of Westminster

* v
* t
* e

Private and military police forces of the United Kingdom

Airports|

* Belfast International
* British Airports Authority
* Birmingham
* Liverpool
* Manchester
* Ministry of Civil Aviation

Markets|

* City of London (Billingsgate, Smithfields and Spitalfields)
* Birmingham
* Liverpool
* Manchester

Miscellaneous|

* Cambridge University
* Liverpool Cathedral
* Mersey Tunnels
* Oxford University
* Salisbury Cathedral
* York Minster
* Northern Ireland Security Guard Service
* Canterbury Cathedral Close Constables
* Chester Cathedral Constables

Parks|

| London|

* Barking and Dagenham
* Brent
* Epping Forest
* Greenwich
* Hammersmith and Fulham
* Hampstead Heath
* Haringey
* Havering
* Hillingdon
* Kew
*   * Newham
* Redbridge
* Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
* Royal Parks
*   * Sutton
* Wandsworth

|

Other|

* Brighton
* Birmingham
* Liverpool

Ports|

* Belfast Harbour
* Bute Docks
* Falmouth Docks
* Larne Harbour
* Port of Bristol
* Port of Dover
* Port of Felixstowe
* Port of Liverpool
* Port of Portland
* Port of Tilbury
* Southampton Harbour
* Tees and Hartlepool Harbour

Rivers & canals|

* Lee Conservancy
* Manchester Ship Canal
* Thames River Police
* River Clyde
* River Tyne
* Tyne Improvement Commission

Service police|

* Royal Air Force Police
* Royal Marines Police
* Royal Military Police
* Royal Navy Police

Italics indicate defunct agencies

* v
* t
* e

London landmarks

Buildings and
structures|

| Bridges|

* Albert Bridge
* Battersea Bridge
* Blackfriars Bridge
* Chelsea Bridge
* Hammersmith Bridge
* Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges
* Lambeth Bridge
* London Bridge
* Millennium Bridge
* Putney Bridge
* Richmond Bridge
* Southwark Bridge
* Tower Bridge
* Vauxhall Bridge
* Waterloo Bridge
* Westminster Bridge

|

Entertainment
venues|

| Cinemas|

* BFI IMAX
* Empire, Leicester Square
* Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

|

Football stadia|

* Wembley Stadium (national stadium)
* Brentford Community Stadium (Brentford)
* Brisbane Road (Leyton Orient)
* Craven Cottage (Fulham)
* The Den (Millwall)
* Emirates Stadium (Arsenal)
* Loftus Road (Queens Park Rangers)
* London Stadium (West Ham United)
* Plough Lane (AFC Wimbledon)
* Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace)
* Stamford Bridge (Chelsea)
* The Valley (Charlton Athletic)
* Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Tottenham Hotspur)

Other major
sports venues|

* All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
* The Championship Course (rowing)
* Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
* Lord's (cricket)
* Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
* The Oval (cricket)
* Twickenham Stadium (rugby)

Theatres|

* Adelphi
* Apollo Victoria
* Coliseum
* Criterion
* Dominion
* Lyceum
* Old Vic
* Palladium
* Royal National Theatre
* Royal Opera House
* Shakespeare's Globe
* Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
* Theatre Royal Haymarket
* Vaudeville

Other|

* Alexandra Palace
* Brixton Academy
* ExCeL
* Hammersmith Apollo
* The O2 Arena
* Royal Albert Hall
* Royal Festival Hall
* Wembley Arena

Government|

* 10 Downing Street
* Admiralty Arch
* Bank of England
* City Hall (Southwark)
* City Hall (Newham)
* County Hall
* Guildhall
* Horse Guards
* Mansion House
* The National Archives
* Old Bailey
* Palace of Westminster
* Royal Courts of Justice
* Scotland Yard
* SIS Building
* Thames House

Museums and
galleries|

* British Museum
* Churchill War Rooms
* Courtauld Gallery
* Cutty Sark
* Golden Hinde
* Guildhall Art Gallery
* HMS Belfast
* Imperial War Museum
* London Canal Museum
* London Museum
* London Museum Docklands
* London Museum of Water & Steam
* Madame Tussauds
* National Gallery
* National Maritime Museum
* National Portrait Gallery
* Natural History Museum
* Royal Academy of Arts
* Royal Observatory
* Science Museum
* Tate Britain
* Tate Modern
* Tower of London
* Victoria and Albert Museum
* Wallace Collection
* Young V&A

Places of worship|

* All Hallows-by-the-Tower
* BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
* Bevis Marks Synagogue
* Methodist Central Hall
* Regent's Park Mosque
* St Clement Danes
* St Margaret's, Westminster
* St Martin-in-the-Fields
* St Mary-le-Bow
* St Paul's Cathedral
* Southwark Cathedral
* Westminster Abbey
* Westminster Cathedral

Retailing|

| Shops|

* Fortnum & Mason
* Hamleys
* Harrods
* Harvey Nichols
* Hatchards
* Liberty
* Peter Jones
* Selfridges

|

Shopping centres
and markets|

* Borough Market
* Brent Cross
* Burlington Arcade
* Camden Market
* Kensington Arcade
* Leadenhall Market
* One New Change
* Petticoat Lane Market
* Royal Exchange
* Westfield London
* Westfield Stratford City

Royal buildings|

| Partly occupied by
the royal family|

* Buckingham Palace
* Clarence House
* Kensington Palace
* St James's Palace

|

Unoccupied|

* Banqueting House
* Hampton Court Palace
* Kew Palace
* The Queen's Gallery
* Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace

Skyscrapers|

* One Canada Square
* One Churchill Place
* 8 Canada Square
* 20 Fenchurch Street
* 122 Leadenhall Street
* Broadgate Tower
* Citigroup Centre (London)
* The Gherkin
* Heron Tower
* The Shard
* St George Wharf Tower
* Tower 42

Structures|

* Albert Memorial
* ArcelorMittal Orbit
* Big Ben
* The Cenotaph
* Cleopatra's Needle
* Crystal Palace transmitting station
* London Eye
* London Wall
* Marble Arch
* Monument to the Great Fire of London
* Nelson's Column
* Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain ("Eros")
* Thames Barrier
* Wellington Arch

Transport|

* City Airport
* Heathrow Airport
* Blackfriars station
* Cannon Street station
* Charing Cross station
* Clapham Junction station
* Euston station
* Fenchurch Street station
* King's Cross station
* Liverpool Street station
* London Bridge station
* Paddington station
* St Pancras station
* Stratford station
* Victoria station
* Waterloo station
* London Cable Car
* Victoria Coach Station

Other|

* Barbican Estate
* Battersea Power Station
* British Library
* BT Tower
* Kew Gardens
* Lambeth Palace
* Lloyd's building
* London Zoo
* Oxo Tower
* Smithfield Market
* Somerset House
* St Bartholomew's Hospital

Parks|

| Royal Parks|

* Bushy Park
* Green Park
* Greenwich Park
* Hampton Court Park
* Hyde Park
* Kensington Gardens
* Regent's Park
* Richmond Park
* St James's Park

|

Other|

* Battersea Park
* Burgess Park
* Clapham Common
* College Green
* Epping Forest
* Finsbury Park
* Gunnersbury Park
* Hampstead Heath
* Holland Park
* Kew Gardens
* Mitcham Common
* Osterley Park
* Trent Park
* Victoria Park
* Wandsworth Common
* Wimbledon Common

Squares and
public spaces|

* Covent Garden
* Horse Guards Parade
* Leicester Square
* Parliament Square
* Piccadilly Circus
* Sloane Square
* Trafalgar Square

Streets|

* Aldwych
* Baker Street
* Bishopsgate
* Bond Street
* Carnaby Street
* Charing Cross Road
* Cheapside
* Cornhill
* Denmark Street
* Fenchurch Street
* Fleet Street
* Haymarket
* Jermyn Street
* Kensington High Street
* King's Road
* Lombard Street
* The Mall
* Myrtle Avenue, Hounslow
* Oxford Street
* Park Lane
* Piccadilly
* Portobello Road
* Regent Street
* Shaftesbury Avenue
* Sloane Street
* Strand
* Tottenham Court Road
* Victoria Embankment
* Whitehall

* v
* t
* e

Nature reserves in the London Borough of Barnet

* Arkley Lane and Pastures
* Arkley South Fields
* Arrandene Open Space and Featherstone Hill
* Ashley Lane
* Avenue House Grounds
* Barfield Allotments Nature Park
* Barnet Countryside Centre
* Barnet Gate Wood
* Bells Hill Burial Ground
* Belmont Open Space
* Big Wood and Little Wood
* Brent Park
* Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp)
* Bruno's Field
* Burnt Oak Brook
* Burtonhole Lane and Pasture
* Cherry Tree Wood
* Clarefield Park
* Clay Lane
* Clitterhouse Recreation Ground
* College Farm
* Coppetts Wood and Scrublands
* Copthall Railway Walk and Copthall Old Common
* Copthall South Fields
* Darland's Lake
* Deans Brook
* Dollis Brook
* Drivers Hill
* East Finchley Cemetery
* Edgware Way Rough
* Edgwarebury Brook
* Edgwarebury Park
* Folly Brook
* Friary Park
* Glebe Lane Pastures
* Glebelands Local Nature Reserve
* Golders Hill Park
* Greenhill Gardens
* Hadley Green
* Hampstead Heath Extension
* Hendon Churchyard
* Hendon Park and Northern Line Railway Cutting
* King George's Fields
* Lakeside Nature Reserve
* Mill Hill Golf Course
* Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve
* Mill Hill Substation Pastures
* Moat Mount
* Monken Hadley Common
* Mutton Brook
* New Southgate Cemetery
* North Middlesex Golf Course Ponds
* Northern Line Embankment, High Barnet
* Oak Hill Wood
* Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting
* Princes Park
* Pymme's Brook
* River Brent
* Rowley Green Common
* Rowley Lodge Field
* Scratchwood
* Silk Stream
* St Pancras and Islington Cemetery
* Stoneyfields Park
* Sulloniacis Pastures
* Sunny Hill Park
* The Mill Field
* Totteridge Common
* Totteridge Croft Field
* Totteridge Fields
* Totteridge Green
* Turner's Wood
* Woodridge Nature Reserve

* v
* t
* e

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London

Biological|

* Barn Elms Wetland Centre
* Bentley Priory
* Brent Reservoir
* Bushy Park
* Chingford Reservoirs
* Crofton Woods
* Croham Hurst
* Denham Lock Wood
* Downe Bank
* Epping Forest
* Farthing Downs
* Frays Farm Meadows
* Hainault Forest
* Hampstead Heath Woods
* Happy Valley
* Hayes Common
* High Elms
* Home Park
* Ingrebourne Marshes
* Inner Thames Marshes
* Kempton Park Reservoirs
* Keston Common
* Mid Colne Valley
* Old Park Wood
* Oxleas Woodlands
* Richmond Park
* Riddlesdown
* Ruislip Woods
* Ruxley Gravel Pits
* Saltbox Hill
* Syon Park
* Walthamstow Marshes
* Walthamstow Reservoirs
* Wimbledon Common

Geological|

* Abbey Wood
* Elmstead Pit
* Gilbert's Pit
* Harefield Pit
* Harrow Weald
* Hornchurch Cutting
* Wansunt Pit

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

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