Giant chair set up on Hampstead Heath Wednesday 8 June 2005 23:00 BST From a distance, it looks pretty much like any Ikea flatpack table and chair. And with the table legs wobbling precariously in the wind while a team of workers scrambles to erect the rest, cynics might say it takes the same amount of time and effort to install.But this particular set of outdoors furniture is a little larger than the norm. In fact, it is about the size of the average house. It is also the newest addition to one of London's loveliest landmarks - Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath. The 30ft-high wood and steel structure, entitled The Writer, is the work of Italian sculptor Giancarlo Neri. Before it arrived in Britain, on the back of a 10-tonne truck, it graced the sun-dappled Villa Ada in Rome. There, Italian boys would use the table legs as goalposts for their football games and families would sit beneath the sculpture as a respite from the heat. Neri calls the design a "monument to the loneliness of writing" but says he hopes people in London will make of it what they will.
"My installations are public so I leave them to people's goodwill," he says. Hampstead Heath was chosen because of its literary traditions. Writers such as DH Lawrence lived nearby and poets Shelley and Keats strolled together there. The Writer, which is made of marine timber painted to look like cherry wood, was shipped to the UK in pieces. It will take three full days to erect - with the help of a giant crane, half a dozen workers and a small battalion of cherry-pickers. In all, it is made up of six tonnes of steel, 1,000lb of wood and several hundred nuts and bolts. Neri, who has made large-scale installations for 20 years after giving up a professional association football career with the New York Apollos, says this work has been warmly received by writers. "They all identify with the condition of being prisoners of their desks, of the confinement that it requires to actually write about the outside world," he says. "The idea was to reverse that sense of captivity and put the writer on public display."
Hampstead is a district of north central London. The key sights are a wealth of under-stated historical attractions, and the magnificent open spaces of Hampstead Heath. Kenwood House is one of the most accessible of London's great Regency homes, John Keats has a museum devoted to his life and work at his former residence here, and the inspiration for many of John Constable's landscapes is all around you on Hampstead Heath. Combine those with some of the most interesting historical pubs in the whole city, and a vibrant restaurant and cafe scene, and Hampstead really does have much to offer the visitor. A pub in Hampstead - very typical architecture of the area Hampstead Village, with its myriad restaurants, old pubs and cafes is an agreeable place to spend a day or two. The area retains much of its original village character, and Hampstead High St alone houses no less than 18 grade II listed buildings. This is one of the wealthiest sections of the city's inner boroughs, full of stately neighbourhoods and grand historic houses.
You will also find some interesting, non-mainstream shopping, several repertory theatres and one of the best arthouse cinemas in London. The nearby vast, open green spaces of Hampstead Heath are a major attraction for Londoners, but relatively few visitors know much about this wonderful remnant of countryside in the centre of London. Hampstead is a district of great literary, artistic and thespian traditions, and former residents include Kingsley Amis, William Blake, John Constable, Ian Fleming, William Hogarth, John Keats, Anna Pavlova and Alfred Tennyson. Those traditions continue today, and Hampstead is the home of choice for many actors, musicians, writers and media personalities. The residents of Hampstead are acutely aware of the history of the neighbourhood they live in, and any changes in this area are subject to rigorous discussion, and often protest. Belsize Park is in many ways a southward extension of Hampstead Village, and is made up of many similarly grand residential streets with the odd gem of a restaurant.
This is also home to one of the largest and most famous hospitals in London, the Royal Free. The western reaches of Highgate in the Dartmouth Park area, are inside the Hampstead district, and include the important tourist attraction of Highgate Cemetery, which houses the grave of Karl Marx amongst other notables. Primrose Hill is a quiet, stately, residential area in the south of the district bordering Regent's Park. Due to the lack of through roads for traffic, this area seems miles away from the general rush and bustle of London, and forms something of an oasis of calm in what is a very central area. West Hampstead is less grand, and was traditionally a working class housing neighbourhood. Inevitably though, gentrification from about 1990 onwards changed all that, and the area is now a favoured residential area by young professionals. Aside from some budget accommodation, there is little of interest for the visitor here though. Map of the Hampstead district The district is served by the following tube stations:
The best advice for any visitors wishing to drive into Hampstead is, don't. This is a largely residential area, and there is virtually no on-street parking available. Residents' only parking spaces are guarded very jealously. With the public transport links being very good, there is little need for any visitor to drive into the district. If you do insist on driving, there is a public car park on the south eastern edge of Hampstead Heath accessed from East Heath Rd, and this is convenient for visiting the heath. The "easiest" (the term must be used relatively as all routes are congested) routes in from central London are: Coming from the north, the A41, A502 and A598 all connect to the district from the A406 North Circular Rd, and thus from the M1 motorway. Much of the district, particularly in Hampstead Village and Hampstead Heath, lends itself beautifully to walking. Many of the key historical sights are in a cluster within a ten minute walk of Hampstead tube station and therefore easily covered on foot.
If you are planning a full day in the area, a morning visit to Hampstead Heath followed by lunch in Hampstead Village, and then an exploration of the historical attractions, makes for a good itinerary. Karl Marx rests in peace in Highgate Cemetery Or, for a much shorter, easier route, take the 143, 210, 214 or 271 bus to Pond Square, Highgate Village. Cross Pond Square (actually a triangle!) to the top of Swain's Lane, right next to the white building clearly marked "Highate Literary and Scientific Institution, and walk down the hill for about 5 mins. A Victorian Penfold post box in Hampstead High St. One of the few remaining anywhere, and a grade II listed building Totalling 320 hectares this is the largest green space in the inner districts of London. Hampstead Heath, or just the Heath as locals call it, is not a park and has a very different character to the highly manicured Royal Parks in central London. This is a remnant of the great Middlesex Wood, which has somehow survived as commonland as the metropolis grew around it, and in that sense it is very unique.
Its proximity to, and ease of access from, densely populated urban areas of London, have ensured that Hampstead Heath has a special place in the hearts of Londoners. Looking south east from Parliament Hill Fields, Hampstead Heath The heath has much to offer to the visitor, but is generally not that well known as a tourist attraction. If you are visiting the city and simply want some fresh air and calm natural surroundings, then there is no better choice than jumping on the tube and coming for an early morning walk here. Both Hampstead and Belsize Park tube stations are about 10 minutes walk from the heath. The Overground Line station Hampstead Heath is right on the south western tip of the heath. Hampstead Heath is administered by the City of London Corporation, and it is worth visiting their website where there are a number of useful trail maps [6], along with other visitor information. There are a great many cultural references to Hampstead Heath, with perhaps some of the more notable being:
Hampstead Heath is a large space, and visitors may find it useful to compartmentalise the different sections. A tree-lined avenue off East Heath Rd, Hampstead Heath The Pergola, Hampstead Heath Kenwood House, Hampstead Heath Given its reputation as a centre of the arts, it is no surprise that Hampstead is home to three of London's better known repertory theatres and a truly top-class arthouse cinema. Evenings here certainly focus around those performing arts activities. One-off performances (sometimes at unusual venues) are also far from uncommon, so check local listings. A good place to look is the local weekly newspaper, the Hampstead and Highgate Express. Hampstead Village has long been known as a home of off-beat, independent shops. Sadly, that is less the case today than previously as spiralling rents have forced many independent retailers out of the area. Some do remain though, and the keen shopper will be rewarded by exploring the small lanes that lead off the main streets here.
Hampstead High St, Heath St, Rosslyn Hill and Haverstock Hill have a number of mid and upper market boutiques including Nicole Farhi, Gap, Karen Millen, Nine West, Kurt Geiger and Molton Brown. The usual suspects amongst British high street retailers are well represented in the Finchley Rd and Swiss Cottage area. Hampstead Village and Belsize Park are well known for a wide selection of quality restaurants and cafés. The local resident population here is notably demanding, so any places that make it long term will be serving good food and providing good service. The daytime sees a café culture perhaps as strong as anywhere in London, and in the evening, restaurants attract visitors from all over London, as well as neighbourhood locals. Elsewhere in the district, Primrose Hill has its own eating sub-culture centre around some chic outlets on Gloucester Avenue, and London's oldest vegetarian restaurant nearby. The West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage area has some good local restaurants.
home of perhaps the most discreet McDonald's anywhere in the world? Historic pubs are widespread in this district and visitors will have few problems finding a good quality, rewarding option. A vintage of 200 years is by no means unusual for such establishments and many have colourful stories to tell. This is not a district with any regular after hours nightlife, but it is not far down the hill to the neighbouring areas of Camden Town and King's Cross where there are many late bar and dance club options. Among Hampstead's many pubs are a few traditional jewels, including: The Holly Bush has been around since 1807 This is not a district well known for its accommodation options and few visitors stay here. The hotels that are available tend to be in the south of the district, although Hampstead Village itself does have a couple of good quality bed and breakfast options which are very much off the regular tourist path. In West Hampstead, there is a small cluster of budget bed and breakfast options.