“NORTHERN HEIGHTS PARTNERSHIP” LAUNCHES HAMPSTEAD HERITAGE TRAIL

A Celebration of the launch of the Hampstead Heritage Trail took place on Monday evening, 11 June at Burgh House, Hampstead. A new 15 mile trail from Camden Town to Alexandra Palace, is described in 5 individual booklets, covering a total of 500 points of interest. The trail runs via Belsize Park, Hampstead, Hampstead Garden Suburb and East Finchley.

The evening was jointly hosted by the Highgate Society, the Heath & Hampstead Society, the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust and the Hornsey Historical Society – neighbouring amenity groups, who joined forces to create the Hampstead Heritage Trail.

The creation of the Trail follows the Highgate Society’s successful launch last June of the first two booklets of a five part, nine mile “Circular Walk around London’s Northern Heights, covering Highgate, Hampstead and Hampstead Heath”. The remaining three booklets in this series are now also available at local bookshops.

Richard Webber from the Highgate Society, came up with the original idea for the 9 mile Circular Walk and was then asked by three neighbouring amenity groups to create additional booklets for their own areas. He said, “planning policies make frequent reference to ‘the fringes of Hampstead Heath’, the latter being the jewel in the crown of leisure destinations. However innovations in town planning introduced by Nash at Regents Park, by Dame Henrietta Barnett and Unwin at Hampstead Garden Suburb and by Edmondson and Collins in Muswell Hill, would arguably not be where they are, without their proximity to the public open spaces we all cherish.”

Each walk starts and ends at a point easily accessible by public transport, and includes a detailed route map with places for refreshment on the way.

The booklets are available from local shops, or via the Northern Heights Partnership website www.northernheights.eu . They cost between £3 and £4.50 each. A complete Set of 10 booklets (Heritage Trail and Circular Walk) is available for only £25 when ordered through the northern heights website.

Further information: Highgate Society, Richard Webber – 020 8340 3034 Heath & Hampstead Society, Paul Winner – 020 7433 3155 / 07984 160 102 Hornsey Historical Society, Rachael Macdonald – 020 8889 7388 / 07913 344 364 June 2012

The Highgate Society * The Heath & Hampstead Society Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust * Hornsey Historical Society www.northernheights.eu