Belsize Park is fast becoming one of the most sought after residential areas of North London. Click through the sections below to find out more.
Belsize Park History
Renowned for evading the public, Belsize Park was a historical secret until 1317 when Edward II’s Lord Chief Justice left 57 acres of land to the monks of Westminster. During these times Belsize was a sub-division of the manor of Hampstead and the church let out parcels of land to those who wanted to build country mansions.During the early 1800s, Lord of the impressive Belsize Manor, William Wadd wrote a letter to a friend complaining of the increasing popularity of Belsize Park. Apparently the plague epidemic in the city was encouraging Londoners to escape the chaos and move to greener pastures. “Divers come out of the town”, he wrote “and dy under Hedges in fields” even recommending unsuccessfully that these refugees be fined. (Belsize, 2000).
The first streets of Belsize were laid in the 1850s and from 1870 to 1900 many of the surviving stretches of greenery eroded as main thoroughfares developed. The diverse building styles evident in Belsize Park today are due to two factors. Firstly, the parcels of land that became available at varying times during the late 19th century, and secondly the ever changing house styles and fashions during this period.
Thanks to the efforts of Daniel Tidey, a builder and property developer, Belsize became Belsize Park in 1870. Tidey was responsible for many houses within Belsize Park including homes in College Crescent, Buckland Crescent, Belsize Park, Belsize Square and Belsize Park Gardens. During an early stage of his building., Tidey also built the Belsize Tavern and the Washington Hotel. Through marvellous coincedence, two hopeful young men applied at the Washington looking for work in 1978. Though their names were Terry and William Tidey, they did not know that it was their great great great grandfather who had built the pub back in the 1870s.
While Belsize Park remained an “in between area”, set between the hustling heart of the city and the smaller nucleus of Hampstead, it was during the late 1800s that an influx of the “comfortably-off conferred upon this area of London an identity of a kind, and a repute among the inner suburbs, inferior perhaps only to Kensington and St John’s Wood”. (Saint, A. 2000). The district’s public buildings and shops also helped define Belsize Park with the erection of the Hampstead Vestry Hall (later Hampstead Town Hall) and St Stephen’s Church.
The name Belsize – first applied in the 18th Century – was adapted from the French term Bel Assis, meaning “beautifully situated”. Two hundred years later and the name is more appropriate than ever.
Places of Interest
Haverstock Hill
First seen on a map in 1593, Haverstock Hill was then known as Hampstead Hill or the London Road. One proposal for the change in name is that it was formed on an Anglo-Saxon word of haver, meaning oats and stock, a place. Oats were certainly grown in this area, as they constituted part of the rent Belsize Manor paid to Westminster Abbey in the sixteenth century. Haverstock Hill was finally established in the official Post Office Address in 1976 when the present numbering system was given.Today, the wide pavements of Haverstock Hill – rare to London – give a French flavour to the high street terraces, colonised by multiple cafes and the ample opportunity to purchase wine, flowers, food and a film.
Belsize House
While little is known of the earliest versions, in 1496 Westminster Abbey made an order for 400,000 bricks, presumably for the first manor house of the estate. By 1568 the house had expanded to 24 rooms including a hall, long gallery and great chamber.
In 1663, leaseholder, Colonel Daniel O’Neill started building the historic version of Belsize House, a typical restoration mansion with projecting wings and a central tower. The most remembered and recorded memories of Belsize House came from the 1720s when the estate was sub-let to James Howell, known as the Welsh Ambassador. Belsize House was opened to the public from six in the morning until eight at night and set to rival Vauxhall in the attractions on offer, including indoor concerts and informal dancing in a lavishly furnished ballroom with dining and drinking.
The high point was a visit by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1721. The following year “the appearance of mobility and gentry at Belsize was so great that they reckoned between three and four hundred coaches.” Soon after, however, as Belsize House developed a reputation for doubtful social contacts, gambling crept in. This inevitably led to a police raid in which Howell was arrested along with some other “common Gamesters”.
Belsize House was demolished in the autumn of 1853 to make way for new housing. Remaining one of the oldest structures in Belsize, sections of the ancient wall survive and may be glimpsed end-on between 14 and 16 Belsize Avenue.
St Peters Church
While Belsize House was demolished to make way for new housing, St Peter’s Church was consecrated on 11th November 1859 and built on the site in Belsize Square. The land was given by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster and named after the Abbey (St Peter’s, Westminster). Built at a cost of £9,000 and seating 1,100, the first vicar Dr Francis William Tremlett paid for the nave, aisle and transepts. The architect was JR St Aubyn Mumford.
In 1913 the original vicarage was declared to be in a poor state by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and demolished. A new vicarage was built in 1915, however by 1917 extensive restorations were undertaken, principally to the fabric of the church.
The Bevington Organ was built in 1841 in another church and rebuilt in St Peter’s in 1917. According to Howard Isenberg, A Short History of St Peter’s Belsize Park, the organ was always sharp in relation to concert pitch, and although it was tuned down as far as the pipes would allow in 1963, it is still a quartertone sharp.
The Belsize Square Synagogue
In 1947 St Peter’s built a third vicarage adjoining St Peter’s Church and the old vicarage was sold to Belsize Square Synagogue for £15,000. Originally called the New Liberal Jewish Congregation, the founding members came from mainly German-speaking countries as the neighbourhood attracted many European refugees in the years before, during and after the war.
With increasing prosperity and stability within the congregation, the construction of a new Synagogue came about in 1957/58. Architect, H Walter Reifenberg having trained in Germany at the Bauhaus-inspired Berlin Architecture School, designed a building with deliberately stark interior.
Even today the Synagogue’s art and architecture are not considered flamboyant or elaborate. As Michael Brod (Belsize, 2000, p.71) phrased it, “The German phrase ‘Neue Sachlichkeit’ – often translated as ‘new practicality or realism’ – sums up the building’s clean, understated, functional style. The works of art, too, are not major masterpieces, but in their own way they are significant and evocative, and a reflection of the community that has quietly evolved in Belsize Square for the past sixty years.
Going Out
Belsize Park is fast becoming one of the most sought after residential areas of North London. The area's array of bars, cafes and restaurants attract an eclectic mix of people and there are two convenient shopping streets – Haverstock Hill and Belsize Village. Art films can be viewed at The Screen on the Hill located on Haverstock Hill and within close proximity is the 02 Centre housing an eight screen cinema, gym and restaurants located on Finchley Road.Tootsies Grill
196-198 Haverstock Hill
Tel: 020 7431 3812
Tootsies offer an upmarket version of burger and chips, with other classic American girll house choices also on the menu. The milkshakes are frothy, everything is bright and fresh and the service is of a high standard. Open seven days a week with Starters from £3.95, Sandwiches from £6.95, Burgers from £7.45 and Grills from £12.95 this is an easy going place to sit and watch the world go by.
Ask
216 Haverstock Hill
Tel: 020 7433 3896
They quite literally have something for everyone here – everyone who likes pizza or pasta anyway. The interior décor is clean and modern and a large open plan kitchen is situated to the rear of the restaurant. The menu is large and will include all your favourite pasta dishes and pizza toppings. Wine prices and quality vary as in all restaurants. Starters include warm wild mushrooms served on a melted taleggio cheese crostini with rocket and traditional Italian bruschetta. Various pizza and pasta dishes are on offer for main course. A good venue for a catch up with friends while also intimate enough for a candle-lit dinner for two.
The Junction Restaurant
215 Haverstock Hill
Tel: 020 7433 7555
The Junction is a contemporary styled restaurant reflecting the latest in cosmopolitan cooking trends. Dishes are simple using fresh, seasonal ingredients for their ever-changing traditional menu that is always presented in the most modern ways. The Junction offers Starters from £4.95 and Mains from £10.95. Special deals are often available for 2-3 course meals and dinner/cinema packages.
Tapeo
177 Havertsock Hill
Tel: 020 7483 4242
Enjoy an authentic friendly Spanish atmosphere in the tapas bar situated right in the heart of Belsize Park. All dishes are prepared daily on the premises with quality fresh ingredients following traditional Spanish recipes. Prices range from £2.45 to £7.95
Black & Blue
205-207 Haverstock Hill
Tel: 020 7443 7744
This restaurant has identified a niche market that has been missing since the 60’s. If you love a great steak then head for Black & Blue, offering value for money with Starters from £5, Burgers from £8 and Mains from £12. Black and Blue has a great atmosphere and a friendly service.
The Belsize
29 Belsize Lane
Tel: 020 7794 4910
The Belsize is a lovely traditional pub tucked away in the heart of Belsize village ,a short walk from Belsize Park. It has a wide range of drinks to complement the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The pub is divided into two halves, the front for socialising with your drink of choice and the rear for enjoying some of the fine food on the menu. The food is excellent with dishes ranging from king prawns, cod and mash on a bed of spinach to the more traditional pub favourite, bangers and mash. Definitely worth a visit.
The Washington
50 Englands Lane
Tel: 020 7772 8842
This pub is a friendly and lively one at the weekends. Its interior has fabulous Victorian mirrors and a carved mahogany bar. There is a well-priced food menu, featuring modern classics such as pork and leek sausages and mash and good old jam roly poly! There is always a mixed band of happy punters, and well received music and weekly comedy nights. The bartenders are friendly and down to earth and serve draught Beck’s and Amstel and a large selection of wines.
Bagel Street
173 Haverstock Hill
Tel: 020 7449 0262
This great bagel café on Haverstock Hill practically opposite Belsize Park station is a great place to grab some lunch. It offers some wonderful and unusual bagel flavours as well as great fillings. You can also get hot and cold drinks and other food choices.
Parks and Open Spaces
Some of the most famous parks in London are within easy walking distance of Belsize Park including Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park and Hampstead Heath.
Regent’s Park evolved from the 1811 plans of John Nash, Crown Architect and friend of The Prince Regent. To raise revenue for the Crown, he designed private residential estate set in parkland. From the steep summit of Primrose Hill there are fine views of Westminster and the City. 
The area now open to the public is mainly open parkland which supports a wide range of facilities and amenities including gardens, a lake with islands, a heronry and waterfowl collection, sports and catering, children’s playgrounds and the Open Air Theatre. It also contains London Zoo and is the largest outdoor grass area for sports in central London.
In the north of the borough is Hampstead Heath, one of London’s major open spaces, consisting of almost 800 acres of mixed grassland and woodland. It is rather more than parkland than heath but it does have plenty of semi-wild areas, sections of extensive tree cover, and a number of small lakes reserved for boating and swimming.
Transport
Belsize Park is located just within easy reach of Central London and is well served by the public transport network. Although it retains a homely village atmosphere, excellent tube, bus and rail links ensure the whole of London and the South East are easily accessible.The Underground
The Belsize Park tube station, located on Haverstock Hill, is in Zone 2 on the (black) Northern Line. Approximately 15 minutes from Kings Cross St Pancras, residents have easy access with only 4 stops to the centre of London.Rail
The nearby village of Hampstead Heath is served by the North London branch of the Silver-link line which is situated on the Richmond to North Woolwich line.Bus Routes
The C11 starts its journey at Archway station and then proceeds to:
- Parliament Hill Fields
- Gospel Oak and Hampstead Heath stations
- Belsize Park
- Swiss Cottage
- Finchley Road
- West Hampstead
- Cricklewood
- North Cricklewood
- Brent Cross
The 46 starts at Warwick Avenue station and travels past:
- Maida Vale
- St John’s Wood
- Swiss Cottage and Hampstead Heath stations
- Belsize Park
- Kentish Town
- Camden Road
- Kings Cross
- Holborn
- Farringdon
The 168 starts at Hampstead Heath Station and continues to:
- Pond Street
- Belsize Park
- Chalk Farm
- Camden Town
- Euston
- Holborn
- Aldwych
- Waterloo Station
- Elephant & Castle Station
The 24 commences from Hampstead Heath and then proceeds to:
- Belsize Park
- Chalk Farm
- Mornington Crescent
- Warren Street
- Tottenham Court Road
- Charing Cross Road
- Leicester Square
- Trafalgar Square
- Westminster Station
- Victoria
- Pimlico
Airport Links
As a result of these comprehensive services, all four of London’s international airports can be reached from Belsize Park in approximately an hour.