Within the Heath are at least 55
principal artefacts, monuments and archaeological sites, all
of which form a vital part of its history and character.
Overlooking the West Heath, the Pergola is as long as Canary
Wharf tower is tall. This Edwardian extravagance, having
fallen into disrepair, was restored by the City of London and
is once more a Heath highlight. The Tumulus is shrouded in
mystery; is it an ancient burial ground, the foundations of an
old windmill or a folly in the landscape? The Saxon ditch and
adjacent earth bank, which marked early ownership and
administrative boundaries, are known to have been present
since at least AD986. Parts of the Heath clearly show signs of
past industry; Sandy Heath, for example, is pocked with the
hollows left by centuries of sand-digging.
Download the Heath Heritage sheets, which are edited versions of
articles produced by Bob Hall, the Chairman of the Hampstead Heath
Mangement Committee, in his monthly column in the Hampstead and
Highgate Express:
The Pergola and Hill
Garden (1.16mb)
Sand digging on Hampstead
Heath (379kb)
Springs, ponds and
recreation (508kb)