Hampstead view southward on Heath Street past Underground Station geograph-3003052-by-Ben-Brooksbank

Heath Street is in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

in the

London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London boroughs, borough in Inner London, England. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the former Metropolitan boroughs of the Cou ...

, part of the

A502 road List of A roads in zone 5 in Great Britain starting north/east of the A5, west of the A6, south of the Solway Firth The Solway Firth is an inlet on the west coast of Great Britain, forming part of the border between England and Scotland ...

for much of its route. It runs from the centre of Hampstead Village northwards towards

Hampstead Heath Hampstead 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 of London Clay. The heath is rambling ...

. By

Jack Straw's Castle Jack Straw's Castle may refer to: * a place associated with Jack Straw's Lane, Oxfordshire * Jack Straw's Castle, Hampstead {{disambiguation ...

it divides into North End Way heading towards North End and Spaniards Road heading towards

Hampstead Garden Suburb Hampstead Garden Suburb is a suburb of London, north of Hampstead, west of Highgate and east of Golders Green. It is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations. It is an example of early twentieth-century ...

and

Highgate Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...

via Hampstead Lane. Streets running off it include Church Row, New End, Holly Hill,

Hampstead Grove Hampstead Grove is a street in Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It heads northwards from Holly Hill, Hampstead, Holly Hill running towards Hampstead Heath, but curving back towards Lower Terrace which connects it to the Heath. It runs ...

and

Hampstead Square Hampstead Square lies in Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It runs eastward off Heath Street, Hampstead, Heath Street and then curves southwards before Elm Row connects it again to Heath Street. It is linked by pedestrian access to Cann ...

. At the junction with

Hampstead High Street Hampstead High Street is located in the London Borough of Camden. It is the main high street for Hampstead Village and is part of the A502 road (Great Britain), A502. Heading southeastwards from a junction with Heath Street, Hampstead, Heath Stre ...

Hampstead tube station Hampstead is a London Underground station in Hampstead, North London, England. It is on the Edgware tube station, Edgware branch of the Northern line, between Golders Green tube station, Golders Green and Belsize Park tube station, Belsize Pa ...

, which was originally planned to be called Heath Street. Some of the tiling at the platform level still bears the original name. The southernmost stretch of the road was developed much later than the rest during the late nineteenth century to connect Heath Street with the newly built

Fitzjohns Avenue Fitzjohns Avenue is a street in Hampstead, England. Located in the London Borough of Camden it runs northwards from College Crescent (near to Swiss Cottage tube station on the Finchley Road) to join and become Heath Street in Hampstead Village ...

running to

Swiss Cottage Swiss Cottage is an area in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The area was ...

. It replaced a number of existing

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...

s. Until the early nineteenth century it was known as Heath Mount, a name commemorated by the

Heath Mount School Heath Mount School is a Church of England co-educational independent prep school near Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, England. It admits pupils aged 3 to 13. It was founded as Heath Mount Academy in Hampstead in 1796. In 1934 it was relocated t ...

. Historically it was the main street in

. Hampstead became a popular resort for Londoners following the establishment of the Hampstead Wells spa in 1698. The Upper Flask Tavern on Heath Street catered to the traffic and was a meeting place for the

Kit Kat Club The Kit-Cat Club (sometimes Kit Kat Club) was an early 18th-century English club in London with strong political and literary associations. Members of the club were committed Whigs. They met at the Trumpet Tavern in London and at Water Oakley i ...

of the early eighteenth century. The site later became Queen Mary's Maternity Hospital..

References

Streets in the London Borough of Camden Hampstead {{London-road-stub