Every Monday morning about thirty of us meet opposite Hampstead Heath overground station and we are led by volunteers from Heath Hands (a non-profit organisation helping to conserve 350 hectares of North London’s green spaces) on an invigorating walk across Hampstead Heath to Kenwood or Parliament Hill, and sometimes to Golders Hill Park.
My favourite walk is to Kenwood – particularly as our half hour stop at the café allows me to have a quick browse in the Kenwood shop or bookstore, and, one time, I visited Kenwood House with its lavish preserved rooms filled with paintings from all times.
After a café stop at any of the three destinations, the walk back to our starting point takes about forty minutes at our steady and comfortable pace. And some people make their own way home.
The bonus of this group – like most modern-day walking groups – is that I have lovely conversations with a variety of friendly people. The way it works is that newcomers should feel free to start a conversation. There’s nothing odd in greeting a stranger! and we all know that walking and chatting go well together. Sometimes it’s nice to be silent; to listen to birds, observe wildlife in action or unleash my nature-nurtured imagination.
The Heath Hand guides take you on the best routes according to the weather (summertime more off path walking) and I love how each time the way is different. In the largeness of nature and uncommonly carefree, such as not even having to decide which way to go, I’d say, to quote from John Keats recently discovered poem I Stood Tiptoe Upon a Little Hill, this type of “delicious ramble…charms us at once away from all our troubles.”
Heath Hands offers three walks every week. The one here described meets on Mondays at 10am, except on Bank Holidays. Just turn up at least 5 minutes before the start time. No dogs please! One of the volunteers will take your email address, if you want a weekly reminder.
