The English community of Hampstead was once a village outside of the city. Now it is a part of the Greater London Area. It is on a high ridge north of the main metropolitan district, and still holds itself somewhat aloof from London. Since Georgian times Hampstead has been one of Metropolitan London’s most desirable residential areas. Guests in discount hotels in Hampstead still find it to be essentially a Georgian village, and home to a community of writers and artists. Here, on a quiet Hampstead street, you can visit the Keats House. It was built in 1816 and was the home of the poet John Keats. The house is now a museum. Another Hampstead house is home to the Freud Museum. The Father of Modern Psychiatry lived here for the last year of his life after fleeing Nazi persecution. His Viennese-style consulting rooms remain unaltered. Freud’s daughter Anna lived here until her death in 1982.
Just four miles from Central London is Hampstead Heath. Here, from Parliament Hill, you get a spectacular view of the city. Kenwood House is a neoclassical mansion on the northern side of the heath. It has a small but fascinating collection of paintings by European masters. If you like old graveyards, go to Highgate Cemetery. In this Victorian burial ground you will see shrouded urns, obelisks, eerily overgrown graves, and twisting paths that look like scenes from a Dracula movie. Check the listings at EasyToBook.com for information on cheap hotels in Hampstead.