Hampstead (/ˈhæmpstɪd, -stɛd/) is an area in London, England, which lies 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Charing Cross, forming the northwest part of the London Borough of Camden, a borough in Inner London. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsize Park to the south and is surrounded from the northeast by Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland.
Hampstead is known for its intellectual, artistic, liberal, and literary associations. It contains a number of listed buildings, such as Burgh House, Kenwood House, the Spaniard's Inn, and the Everyman cinema. With some of the most expensive housing in London, Hampstead has had many notable residents, both past and present, including Helena Bonham Carter, Agatha Christie, T.S. Eliot, Jon English, Sigmund Freud, Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, Jim Henson, George Orwell, Harry Styles and Elizabeth Taylor. As of 2004, Hampstead has been home to more Prime Ministers, and contains more millionaires within its boundaries, than any other area of the United Kingdom.[1]
Inhabited since at least when the Anglo-Saxons ruled Britain, Hampstead is one of the oldest areas in London. From the 17th century it became popular as a resort away from the capital, especially for the affluent.[2] The areas has been contained within many metropolitan governments since the 13th century, ending with the dissolution of the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead into the London Borough of Camden in 1965.[3] Since then, it has become a major tourist destination within Camden, owing to its many historical sites and high street.
- ^ Wade, David, "Whatever happened to Hampstead Man?". The Daily Telegraph, 8 May 2004 (retrieved 3 March 2016).
- ^ "Hampstead: Settlement and Growth". British History Online. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ "Hampstead: Local Government". British History Online. Retrieved 1 November 2024.