Let’s draw Hampstead on Sunday 28 April 2024
In April we are sketching Hampstead village with its charming cobbled streets, beautiful houses, and quaint nooks and crannies. Although it has no major tourist landmarks, this quiet corner of North London is surely one of the city’s most attractive locations. Your leaders who will be there to help you and point you in the right direction are Jim Smart and Sasala Wickramasinghe.
Key times and meeting points
11 am: We will meet on Well Walk in front of Burgh House, a Grade I listed house built in 1704 which today is a community space and museum displaying an interesting collection of local historical interest. It is free to enter and boasts a marvelous café. In the event of rain, we will meet on the pavement under the large tree.
You can find our meeting point using the What3Words location ///dangerously.heavy.chair
1 pm: Meet back at Burgh House for a throwdown and a group photo.
3.30 pm: We will assemble again in the same location for the final throwdown and group photo at the end of the sketching day.
Afterwards: For those who would like to chat or sketch over a drink, we will repair to The Old White Bear just up the road on Well Road.
Options for drawing
In truth, the options are almost limitless. But let’s divide them into four areas:
High Street: running down the hill from the Underground station is the High Street which contains many interesting shops and pubs. Don’t miss the pretty side streets, notably to the left Flask Walk and to the right of Perrin’s Court.
Fitzjohn’s Avenue: To the west of Fitzjohn’s Avenue, you can find the beautiful Georgian terraced houses of Church Row and, at the end, St John at Hampstead church and its interesting cemetery.
Flask Walk, Hampstead. Sketch by Jim Smart
Heath Street: North of Heath Street, you can find the iconic Holly Bush pub and some spectacular houses such as Fenton House (National Trust: gardens cost £7 to enter) and Admiral’s House (the inspiration for the house in Mary Poppins).
The Admiral’s House, Hampstead. Sketch by Jim Smart
Hampstead Heath: You can access the Heath from Burgh House by following Well Walk. Notable sights just 10 minutes walk into the Heath are the Viaduct Bridge and the Hollow Tree. But perhaps the most interesting part at this end of the Heath is the Hill Garden and Pergola reached by following
Heath Street (15-minute walk or two stops to ‘Inverforth House’ on the 268 bus route. Catch the bus from the ‘Hampstead Station’ bus stop in front of Waterstones). Alternatively, you can walk down Willow Road towards Hampstead Heath station and you will find the famous 1939 modernist house at 2 Willow Road and poet John Keats’ house and gardens.
Hill Garden and Pergola, Hampstead. Sketch by Jim Smart
But, in reality, almost every byway in Hampstead offers some wonderful sketching inspiration. And
for those who run out of art materials faced with all these options, there is a Cass Art shop at 58-62
Heath Street.
Practical information
Travel
The easiest way to reach Hampstead Village is to take the Northern Line to Hampstead, which
incidentally is the deepest station on the network at 58 meters. On leaving the station, turn left
down the High Street. Turn left at Paul Bakery along Flask Walk past the Grade II listed Wells and
Campden Baths and Wash Houses buildings and Burgh House is on your left. (5 mins walk).
Other public transport options are Overground to Hampstead Heath (turn right along South End
Road keeping the Heath on your right, and then into Willow Road, a 10-minute walk to Burgh House)
Buses serving Hampstead station are 46, 268, and 603. Buses serving Hampstead Heath station are
1, 24, 46 and C11.
Food & drink
In addition to the Burgh House café, there are a host of cafes, pubs, and restaurants along the High Street and adjoining side streets.
For those going to Hill Gardens and Pergola, there is a café in Golders Hill Park, 7 minutes walk away.
The Old White Bear Pub, Hampstead. Sketch by Jim Smart
Toilets
Burgh House has toilets which are accessed via the café entrance.
In the High Street area, many cafes and pubs have toilets as does the café in Waterstones. There are
also public toilets at South End Green beside Hampstead Heath station.
On the Heath, there are toilets just beyond Viaduct Bridge and the Hollow Tree which are housed in
a mock Tudor-style building.
For those going to Hill Gardens and Pergola, the nearest public toilets are 7 minutes walk away at
the Golders Hill Park café.
Accessibility
The museum has step-free access through a separate entrance on New End Square. From there it is possible to reach wheelchair accessible toilets next to one of their two art galleries.
The café itself is down some stairs but they have an outdoor part with tables which is accessible from the step-free entrance and is under a canopy.
The ground floor of Fenton House is all step-free: the Music Room, Library, two Art Galleries and Shop.
