Somehow, despite living in London for 8 years once upon a time, I’ve never been to Hampstead until today. My friend and I made the most of a warm and sunny late-summer-feeling day and had a great explore, really getting a feel for the place.

Inside The Well Walk Theatre cafe, with a chandelier, dark panelling and a broomstick hanging in the window

We started the day with a cup of tea at The Well Walk Theatre cafe. A lovely space. Elegant and stylish but also cosy. We liked it so much that we returned here for a bite to eat after our explore of the Heath. Just across the road was Burgh House, so we had a wander around there enjoying the building and the art. The cafe looked wonderful with a great cake selection.

St Paul's Cathedral rising behind bomb rubble, a war painting by Donald Towner at Burgh House

Continuing the summer’s theme of war art, here’s another piece that I spotted in the Amongst the Trees and Terraces: Donald Chisholm Towner (1903 - 1985) exhibition. The information panel told me he was born and brought up in Eastbourne so I wondered if he was related to the Towner of the gallery there. It turns out that he was the Great-Nephew of that Towner.

Snowy Heath with bare trees and a frozen pond by Donald Towner at Burgh House

Another piece by Donald Towner, this time of the Heath.

Colourful painting of Hampstead buildings and trees by Duncan Grant at Burgh House

I spotted this in the Hampstead Vanished and Imagined exhibition and recognised it as Duncan Grant after spending time at Charleston last week.

Samizdat installation at Burgh House, a tower of chained books topped with a typewriter

This piece was arresting, almost literally. The information panel tells me it relates “to the clandestine copying and distribution of banned literature, particularly in Eastern Europe during the 1960s-1980s”, and that “This installation pays homage to those who risked their freedom to keep suppressed voices alive.”

One of the Hampstead Heath ponds, still and green, ringed with trees

From here we headed to the Heath. We walked through woodland, across meadows, through fields and around ponds. I hadn’t appreciated how varied the landscape would be.

Big clouds over treetops, taken from a bench at the top of Parliament Hill

Looking over the London skyline from Parliament Hill, with two people on a bench

And then we made it to the viewpoint at Parliament Hill, where we sat on a bench at the top and looked over to trees and greenery on one side, and the city on the other. It felt really special, and peaceful.

Kenwood House seen across the dry meadow below it

After leaving our bench we headed off around some of the ponds and found ourselves in the Kenwood Estate looking at the house from the water’s edge. An impressive building which must have had quite the view in its history.

A pistachio ice cream sandwich dipped in dark chocolate

After re-tracing our steps to the Well Walk Theatre cafe for a late lunch, we walked back towards the train station through Hampstead village. I couldn’t resist ending my day out with this beautiful piece of ice cream art, a pistachio ice cream sandwich.