So here we are, right at the very bottom of the ex-Wylde’s Farm Hampstead Heath extension, looking at it through ‘The Great Wall’. Well, given that it is only about 500 metres long and never more than 5 metres high, ‘The Great Wall’ may be a bit of an overstatement, but that is what it calls itself. Thanks to the London Gardens Trust Inventory for the following:
The Heath Extension is separated from Hampstead Garden Suburb by a boundary wall which is punctuated by a raised terrace in the form of a rectangular lawn, Sunshine Corner. The wall running west of the terrace from Heathgate to Hampstead Way is known as The Great Wall and was inspired by medieval town wall. Along the Wall are a series of garden pavilions for the houses behind, each with a gazebo overlooking the heath, designed in the style of Lutyens. It was intended to run east to Wildwood Road but only the west part was built by 1914.
This is the raised terrace – which includes two rather nice herbaceous beds….
and this is the wall. As you will realise, I filmed the wall before reading up about its mediaeval inspiration…
(If you want to see the video you will need to click onto the blog as the email notification does not include the video.)
And so back up across the playing fields…
… to the meadows and, following the line of the seven small ponds, to Sandy heath.
My daily blog now has an Instagram account! WalksonHampsteadHeath – the idea being to widen the circle of people who might enjoy a daily ramble across the heath. Please follow us and pass on the news!!
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