Parliament Hill is an area of open parkland in the south-east corner of

Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band o ...

in north-west

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The hill, which is high, is notable for its views of the capital's skyline. The

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...

, which are south of Parliament Hill in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...

, can be seen from the summit, although construction in the intermediate parts of London has partly obscured them.

History

A mound on the hill may have been a Bronze Age burial barrow. In 1133, the hill was part of a

manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...

that

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the No ...

gave to a

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

called Richard de Balta. During Henry II's reign it was passed to Alexander de Barentyn, the king's

butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

. The area that was known as Traitors' Hill may have acquired its current name during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

in the 17th century, when it was occupied by troops loyal to the English Parliament. A legend states that this was the site from where Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby, of the Gunpowder Plot on November the 5th 1605, planned to watch the destruction of Parliament. Over time, plots of land in the manor were sold off for building, particularly in the early 19th century, though the hill remained mainly

common land Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect Wood fuel, wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

. In 1875

was acquired for the people by the

Metropolitan Board of Works The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the principal instrument of local government in a wide area of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent, defined by the Metropolis Management Act 1855, from December 1855 until the establishment of the London County ...

. Thirteen years later Parliament Hill was purchased for the public for £300,000 and added to Hampstead Heath. Nevertheless, manorial rights to the land remained in private hands until the mid 20th century when they lapsed under Sir Spencer Pocklington Maryon-Wilson, who died in 1944, when the titular estate was passed on to his grandson Shane Gough, 5th Viscount Gough.Hampstead - Manor and Other Estates , British History Online
/ref> Until the 1940s, livestock was still reared on the hill to be sold through

Smithfields Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Bartho ...

, the London meat market. The City of London Corporation has managed Parliament Hill since 1989. Before that it was managed by the GLC and then Camden Council.

Local area

It is administered by the City of London Corporation together with the rest of Hampstead Heath. The Eastern ( Highgate) side, including

Parliament Hill Lido Parliament Hill Lido, located in Hampstead Heath, north London, is next to Gospel Oak railway station. The lido, also known as Hampstead Heath Lido, is a public unheated open air swimming pool, open for 12 months a year. It first opened in 1938. ...

, is known as Parliament Hill Fields, and a local girls' school,

Parliament Hill School Parliament Hill School is a secondary school for girls with a mixed sixth form located in the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden in City of London, London, England. In 2013, there were 1,250 students on roll, between the ages of 11 and ...

, is named after it.

Activities

Cross-country running

Parliament Hill is renowned as a cross-country running venue and hosted the 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2022

English National Cross Country Championships The English National Cross Country Championships is an annual England, English cross country running event which takes place in late February following the regional championships (Southern, Midlands and Northern) which all take place on the same we ...

Hampstead Rugby Club

The Hill is also used by Hampstead Rugby Club. The senior men's and women's teams train in the middle of the running track and on parts of the hill. The men's section is one of the oldest in the World. However it was disbanded for the 2nd WW and did not regroup until the mid 1960s. Since the formation of the RFU leagues it is the only club to be ever present in London 2 NW. The club's most successful seasons were 2016/17 and 2017/18, when they won 18 games and then 19 games and 1 draw.

In film, literature, art and the media

Scenes in films: *''

The Wedding Date ''The Wedding Date'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Clare Kilner and starring Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney, and Amy Adams. Based on the 2002 novel ''Asking for Trouble'' by Elizabeth Young, the film is about a single wom ...

'' - 2005 *'' Notes On A Scandal'' - 2006 *'' Run Fatboy Run'' - 2007 *''

Before I Go to Sleep ''Before I Go to Sleep'' is the first novel by S. J. Watson published in Spring 2011. It became both a ''Sunday Times'' and ''The New York Times'' bestseller and has been translated into over 40 languages, and has become a bestseller in Franc ...

'' - 2014 *'' Absolutely Anything'' - 2015 *''

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

'' - 2016 *'' Eternals'' - 2021 Scenes in television: *''

Turn Up Charlie ''Turn Up Charlie'' is a British comedy streaming television series created by Idris Elba and Gary Reich. The series stars Elba as a disc jockey who reluctantly becomes the nanny for his famous friend's daughter; Piper Perabo, JJ Feild and Frank ...

'' - 2019 Scenes in literature: * Adamson, E.V. ''Five Strangers'' - 2021

References

;Notes ;References

External links

BBC websiteA Map of Hampstead Heath showing the location of Parliament Hill
* {{Parks and open spaces in London Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Camden Hills of London