Sketch of houses overlooking Hampstead No.1 pond – by Dean Ashton

Saturday 25th July 2026

Led by Si Newell and Nuno Pais

In July, we head to Hampstead Heath, one of London’s most loved green spaces. Around Hampstead Heath Station, elegant Georgian and Victorian architecture meets open woodland, ponds and winding paths, creating one of the city’s richest sketching locations.

For centuries, Hampstead has attracted artists, writers, and thinkers seeking fresh air and inspiration. John Keats lived here, John Constable painted the Heath’s dramatic skies, and the surrounding streets still retain much of the village character that made Hampstead one of London’s earliest suburban retreats. Within a few minutes’ walk, you can move from lively cafés and historic pubs into ancient woodland, open meadows and quiet gardens.

With its mix of historic streets, remarkable architecture and one of London’s finest landscapes, Hampstead Heath offers sketchers an extraordinary variety of subjects—all within a few minutes’ walk.

Let’s Meet Here

Our 11am meeting point is outside the Watch House Coffee on Keats Grove, just a short walk from Hampstead Heath Station.

The 1pm and 3:30pm throwdowns will take place in the peaceful gardens of Keats House – a beautiful white Regency Villa surrounded by a romantic garden with mature trees – one of the area’s most tranquil spots. If you’d like to explore the house itself, admission tickets can be purchased on arrival (card payment only).

As Keats House is both a museum and a peaceful public garden and library, please help keep the gardens tidy by taking any litter with you.

Key Times and Meeting Points for the Day

Saturday 25th July 2026

11:00 am – Meet outside the Watch House Coffee, Keats Grove.

Address: Keats Grove, Hampstead Heath, London NW3 2RL

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1:00 pm – First throwdown and group photograph at Keats House Garden.

3:30 pm – Final throwdown and group photograph at the same location.

Throwdown location: Keats House Garden, London, NW3 2RR

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Afterwards, we’ll head to The Magdala Tavern. If it’s particularly busy, we’ll try the newly opened The Fleet Tavern by South End Green.

Visiting Keats House

The garden is free to visit and will be our throwdown location at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm.

What to Sketch

Keats House and its surrounding gardens.
St John’s Downshire Hill, an elegant Regency chapel, is just further down Keats Grove.
2 Willow Road, the celebrated Modernist house designed by Ernő Goldfinger.
The cafés, independent shops and lively street scene around South End Green.
Hampstead No. 1 and No. 2 Ponds, with their wildlife, willows and reflections.
The mature Plane trees and veteran oaks throughout the Heath.
Woodland paths, open meadows and views across the Heath.
The Magdala Tavern, with its distinctive curved brick façade.
World Peace Garden, a secret community-run garden tucked away beside the Hamstead Heath Station.
The Garden Gate Pub, a wood and brick panelled 19th-century pub with tasseled lampshades and its ivy-covered courtyard.
South End Green is a busy village junction with its Victorian drinking fountain, cafés and village atmosphere.
St Stephen’s Church: Grand Neo-Gothic brick church with towering arches.
Hampstead Green: Leafy park lawn directly outside St Stephen’s Church.