The Heath Is A Wonderful Place To Escape The Madness Called London

I was kinda bored on Sunday afternoon and decided I needed to escape the police sirens, which I can continually hear blasting out along Kilburn High Road, sometimes it gets a little bit too much for my nerves. Sunday must be a good day for crime in London!

I was having a wee look on Google Maps and I noticed that Hampstead Heath looked like it was a walkable distance from Kilburn, or so I thought. A quick bit of research online told me that “The Heath” is London’s largest ancient parkland at over 790 acres in size, and I thought it would be a perfect place to go and escape the noise and mayhem of London.

I just sort of headed off on a whim, I knew the general direction that I needed to go in and I knew if I got lost, all I would have to do is ask someone for directions. Well I got lost and the first 2 people I asked were foreigners and were just as lost as me.

Third time lucky as the saying goes, I found an old dear who pointed me in the right direction to Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill in particular. I had already been walking for over an hour, and when she told me with some sympathy in her voice that it was still a good 2 miles away, I was going to ask her where the nearest pub was. But not being one to quit a mission, I carried on walking.

I carried on walking for about another mile or so and then I finally found the start of Hampstead Heath. By this time my legs were starting to feel a little bit tired. Thanks to the directions from another good Samaritan, who proceeded to point me in the direction of Parliament Hill and who again with some sympathy in his voice told me that it was a good 1.5 miles away. I don’t know if I was looking unfit on Sunday or what, that I looked like I couldn’t handle a wee bit of walking.

I eventually found what I was looking for and got into “The Heath” for real, and it really was the perfect escape from the noise, grime and police sirens of London. It was truly like being in the middle of the countryside, lots of trees, and I mean lots and lots of trees and open green spaces and ponds.

The only down side to waking all the way from Kilburn to Hampstead Heath is that I my legs, which were feeling tired, along with an aching knee and sore ankle, both old war wounds form my years of Kickboxing, meant that I wasn’t going to be able to walk around for too many hours and live to tell the tale.

I eventually made it to the top of Parliament Hill or Kite Hill as it is also known, who needs to know where your going, I just followed the dog walkers and I made it to the summit of the mighty hill. I’m only kidding, it doesn’t take too much effort to get to the top, its more like a wee mound.

 

Well what can I say about the view from the top of Parliament Hill at Hampstead Heath? The view was one of the best views you will get in London, sometimes in life the best things are free. One of these days I will have to get myself onto the London Eye and see if the view is all it is cracked up to be and find out how it compares to the views you get from Parliament Hill, Primrose Hill and Greenwich Park.

I wandered down to the pond at the bottom of Parliament Hill and the seat at the bottom saved my legs, before they gave way. I had aches in places that I never knew it was possible to have pain.

With a lot of luck and bit more walking I eventually found my way home via the tube and bus. However the next time I go to Hampstead Heath, I will be taken the easy way there so that I have more energy to enjoy the calmness and beauty of the place.

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