Hampstead’s Other Half
Hampstead Underground station, London
Guided by Charlie
Adult: £20 · Students & Seniors: £15 · Children: £5
Walk Times
| Day | Walk Type | Start Time | End Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 April 2025 | Special | 2.30 pm | 4.30 pm | Winter |
Hampstead’s fortune was built on fresh air and spring water. It was a healthy mix to attract the leisure seekers, artists and invalids who could afford it. But Hampstead’s washerwomen also valued the water for their loads of linen and enjoyed the smut-free breezes to dry it in. This walk focuses on that other half of Hampstead. It’s the one without the famous names and elegant houses, the one with the laundresses, the watercress pickers, the coachmen, the dairymaids, the nurses, the quarry men and eventually the workers from the city in their great weekend forays onto the Heath, coming to enjoy the fairs in their tens and hundreds of thousands. It’s a walk of the back alleys and heath pathways rather than the streets, more about those forgotten than those remembered. If you know Hampstead come on this walk and just maybe see it afresh; if you don’t, come on a real journey of discovery.
MEET YOUR GUIDE
Ivor Crewe –
Strongly recommended for anyone interested in the lives of the ‘common people’ of old Hampstead. Charlie is an excellent guide, knowledgeable, clear and a good judge of how to pace the walk. I’m a resident of Hampstead and thought I was familiar with its history but learned a lot that was new to me.
Mary Alden –
This walk is great. It was so interesting to learn about the non-posh side of Hampstead. Charlie incorporated some art works taking us to the places they were painted. He explained how the art included social commentary
JK –
Great walk within the previous working class underbelly of Hampstead. Charlie is very knowledge and his stories memorable.
John Snelling –
This is a very good walk. Charlie is an engaging, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide and this walk really reveals aspects of Hampstead of which most people will be unaware. This is the third walk I have done with Charlie and they have all been very good and enjoyable.
Anne Conget –
What a brilliant walk! Charlie is a very engaging guide who knows his subject very well. He conveys his knowledge in a very clear and enthusiastic manner. This walk was really interesting as I discovered a side of Hampstead I was completely unaware of.