A nostalgic walking tour around London's Belsize Park with London's favourite bowler hat wearing guide, Joolz.
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Belsize was part of Hampstead- Beautifully situated (Bel assis)
Ethelred gave Hampstead to Monks of Westminster Abbey and the Abbots gradually sectioned bits off.
Pond Street
Hampstead Classic Cinema, Picture Playhouse from 1913.
Pond Street - recorded in 1607 in licence to contain the area.
The pond connected to the brook running to the RiverFleet. In 1835 it got filled in because too muddy
Oldest houses are near the bottom of street.
23-25 Pond Street - Drill hall used in 1908 by Hampstead's 1st scout troop. The year of Badel Powell’s call to action. The oldest in existence.
Royal Free Hospital, founded by William Marsden in Hatton Garden 1828.
Revolutionized health care with free treatment. Then moved here. (Also founded The Royal Marsden)
The Roebuck pub converted coach house.
St. Stephen’s church built 1869. Abandoned in 1977 after hospital foundations gave it subsidence.
Air Studios - used for film score recordings.
The Wharrie Shelter. Listed building. Donated by Mary Wharrie daughter of first mayor of Hampstead.
Town Hall - Council wanted to knock it down in 1960s
now a recording studio and performance space.
Belsize Ave
Used to be driveway leading to Belsize House.
First house was in 1496 on site of Belsize Tavern. Belsize House. Leased to Armigell Waad for 19 shillings and ten loads of hay and oats.
1700s - John Roque, cartographer commissioned to draw map to prove London was bigger than Paris.
Spencer Perceval, the only UK prime minister to be shot lived here.
After restoration the area became known as a pleasure garden with deer shooting and gambling and dancing. On a par with Vauxhall Gardens. It became so boisterous that residents had it closed down.
Pepys visited and remarked the gardens were too good for the house being indeed the most notable I ever saw.
Belsize Park Gardens
Mulberry Tree marked corner of the grounds of Belsize House.
There were 4 farms in the area Chalcot upper and Lwr, South End and South End Green
1807 still owned by Dean of Westminster but leased land and it started getting developed by mid 1800s
HG Wells House. That’s his girlfriend. Brother lived here
Isokon
Jack Pritchard owned furniture business and ran a plywood company out of Estonia.
Commissioned Welles Coates to design this eye sore in 1934.
Housed refugee artists like Bauhaus architects. Walter Gropius Marcel Breuer
Agatha Christi also lived here. “A liner without funnels"
Largely made of plywood and had a massive communal kitchen with dumb waiters.
Later converted kitchen into a bar where the literary salon would be held..Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore etc
Grade 1 listed. One of most important buildings in Britain
The Richard Steele
Until 1850s only house here was that of Sir Richard Steele.You can see it in a Constable Painting. Far enough from London to escape his creditors pursuing him.
Milestone outside. 4 miles from St Mary Le Grand.
Load of Hay mentioned in 1721 in licensing records.
Standard stop on way up the hill.
England’s Lane
1745 this road existed on maps.
It led to Chaldecots Farm
This part was leased to James England -Hence England’s Lane
Lovely artists houses late 19th century
The Washington Pub.
Original fittings over 150 years old.
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