Description
Hampstead's former village green at the end of Flask Walk was once larger, but today is a small area of grass with a number of trees. In 1712 it was the site for the first Fair recorded taking place in Hampstead, and there were once village stocks and a Watchman's hut with 2 cells. The Wells and Campden Baths and Wash Houses built in 1888 can still be seen facing the Green, the site chosen for its proximity to the original Chalybeate spring on Well Walk. By the early C20th the Green was owned and maintained by Hampstead Borough Council.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Flask Walk |
|---|---|
| Site location | Flask Walk |
| Postcode | NW3 |
| What3Words | ///prom.chat.flags |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Camden |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hampstead (Northern). London Overground: Hampstead Heath. Bus: 210, 268, 46, C11, 24, 168. |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Former village green at the end of Flask Walk, with grass and a number of trees, and with two Type K6 telephone kiosks, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935, fabricated by W MacFarlane of Glasgow. The Green was once larger in extent and in 1712 was the site for the first Fair recorded as taking place in Hampstead. There used to be village stocks and a Watchman's Hut with 2 cells, but these no longer exist. Facing the Green is the former Wells and Campden Baths and Wash Houses built in 1888 by Henry S Legg, but since c.1985 private housing. The Wells and Campden Charity was a major local landowner, and the site was chosen for its proximity to the original Chalybeate spring on Well Walk. In 1882 Henry Legg also erected the well and drinking fountain on Well Walk, which has the inscription: 'To the memory of the Hon. Susanna Noel who with her son Baptist 3rd Earl of Gainsborough gave this well together with 6 acres of land to the use and benefit of the poor of Hampstead 20 December 1698. Drink traveller and with strength renewed Let a kind thought be given To her who has thy thirst subdued Then tender thanks to Heaven.' In the early C18th Hampstead became famous for its chalybeate waters, and the original spa building was opposite the drinking fountain. By the early C20th the Green was owned and maintained by Hampstead Borough Council.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ265859 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.039 |
| Site Ownership | LB Camden |
| Site Management | Parks & Open Spaces |
| Listed Structures | LBII: two telephone kiosks; The Wells and Campden Baths and Wash Houses |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | Yes |
| Local Authority | Camden |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Hampstead Village |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Area of Special Character: Hampstead & Highgate Ridge |
| Other LA Designation | Public Open Space (Small Local). London Squares Preservation Act of 1931 |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Burgh House is a detached Queen Anne house built in 1703-4, now a meeting place and venue, and houses Hampstead Museum. From 1906-24 it was the home of art specialist and author Dr George Williamson, who in 1908 commissioned Gertrude Jekyll to design the garden behind the house. Now largely built over, all that remains from her design is the terrace with millstones set into the path. Following WWII Burgh House was purchased by Hampstead Borough Council and reopened in 1947.It was later leased to Burgh House Trust. In 1979 the sloping terraced garden had become derelict and was restored, planted with over 100 varieties of plants. Improvements to the garden continued in the 1980s with plants favoured by Jekyll introduced.
Along Hampstead High Street and Heath Street are a number of landscaped areas with grass, shrubs and some trees, such as the central enclosure between The Mount and Heath Street, which have been maintained as public open space by Hampstead Borough Council since at least the late C19th/early C20th. They are now maintained by LB Camden. These green spaces are of interest in providing green banks to the busy high street.
Hampstead Square Gardens is a small triangular site within which a private garden has been created. A number of the surrounding houses date from the early C18th, and maps of 1762 show a rectangular grove here called The Square. The open space was used in the early C19th by strolling players and then by the Victoria Tea Gardens. In 1850 Christ Church was built here to serve the growing population of Hampstead, which had became too large for St John-at-Hampstead and the parish was sub-divided.
