Former housing secretary Angela Rayner’s much-discussed property dealings highlight a problem that our Partner Harry Gladwin sees often, particularly in high-value deals. In a recent column for The Times, Harry explains how assuming that one advisor can cover all bases can have far-reaching consequences.
Sarah Frances Kelley for The Buying Solution
In a recent column for The Times, our Partner and Head of the Cotswolds Region Harry Gladwin writes that complex property transactions require robust, expert advice and a team of specialists; including tax advisers, planning lawyers, accountants and surveyors. “In property, mistakes are expensive and, as Angela Rayner discovered, getting it wrong can cost you far more than money,” he writes.
The North London areas of Hampstead, Highgate and Belsize Park offer that highly coveted blend of village charm and urban convenience. Our Partner and North London specialist, Giles Elliott, shares the hidden pockets that make these neighbourhoods so special
North-west London is arguably home to the city’s most authentic villages that long predate the capital and still preserve their sense of separation.
Here you will find a strong sense of community and of place, thriving high streets and a feeling of peace – despite being so well connected to central London.
Still rural retreats well into the 18th century, Hampstead and Highgate are London’s real historical centres and they retain a real eclectic mix of architecture, shops and green spaces.
Hampstead
Withits cobbled streets, winding lanes and ancient pubs, Hampstead is the archetypal London ‘village’. Many of its significant historic houses – from Georgian townhouses and Rectories, to Arts and Crafts masterpieces and award-winning modern builds – are among some of the finest in London, often tucked down meandering roads and leafy lanes.
While the iconic 800-acre wild green space of Hampstead Heath – with its woodland, meadows and ponds – has attracted Londoners wishing to escape the noise and pollution of the city for almost 200 years. You have everything here, from woodland to manicured lawns, swimming ponds to children’s playgrounds.
The area has long attracted writers, artists and thinkers, and is also a prime spot for families, thanks to its high-performing schools. The average price for a detached house in Hampstead now well exceeds £6 million.
Picturesque Church Row, with its splendid Georgian townhouses, and adjoining Holly Walk, with its hidden lane of Georgian cottages tucked alongside the cemetery, are just moments from Hampstead Underground and the Village shops, yet they feel almost rural.
On the other side of the village, the leafy roads around the edge of the Heath, including historic Well Walk, East Heath Road and the winding Vale of Health that cuts into the Heath itself and sits beside one of its Ponds, has long been popular for its countryside feel. Its many blue plaques a reminder of its fnotable residents through the centuries.
Whenever I take people on a driving tour, I take them to see Judges Walk on the Heath, once a fashionable place for promenading which was painted by John Constable. Nearby is a huge web of fascinating little lanes and cottages – it really doesn’t feel like you’re in the middle of London here.
Highgate
Just across the Heath, Highgate offers a slightly quieter feel, with a strong sense of community centred around Highgate Village, Kenwood, the Heath and its historic buildings, pubs and community groups. It is also home to the renowned Highgate School. The High Street, with its pre-Georgian, Georgian and Victorian shopfronts and ancient inn yards, is home to many independent businesses, including bookshops and bakeries.
The top of Swain’s Lane, which borders Highgate Cemetery, is narrow and lined with trees and feels as much like a country lane as you will find in London. Then, as you reach the bottom of the Lane, there’s not quite a butcher, baker and candlestick maker, but there is a fantastic fishmonger, a great butcher, a really good greengrocer, a great convenience store – there’s a really well-chosen collection of good independents here.
I recently worked with an American family who were moving from Kensington because their children were at school in Highgate. We secured them an amazing house in Hampstead which we won in best bids because of my relationship with the agent. They loved the house because of its large garden, proximity to the Heath and to different types of shops – not just the high street – and good access to the tube.
Belsize Village
Nearby Belsize Park and, in particular, Belsize Village offer something slightly more low-key and tucked away. Wide tree-lined streets, pretty cafés and discreet mews houses make it a favourite among creatives and professionals who want proximity to the West End.
I recently secured an apartment in a concierge building with underground parking and outside space in Belsize Park for a client in her mid 70s who needed completely level access due to mobility issues. She was living in Islington but was getting fed up with how busy it was.
Within Belsize Park is lesser-known Belsize Village itself. I recently took some international clients on a driving tour who had lived in Hampstead for six months but had never been to Belsize Village and they thought it was absolutely charming. There is a pedestrianised triangle where the pavement is set up with bistro tables, so there’s masses of outdoor seating. On sunny days it feels like you’re in a little piazza in any village in Italy.
There’s a bakery, a deli, a 100-year-old greengrocer and florist, a buzzy little Lebanese restaurant, Bourne’s Fishmongers with four or five little tables inside. And nearby there’s Belsize Court Garages – a pretty little mews with Victorian stable houses and contemporary new builds, with a smattering of late Georgian cottages/coach houses close by.
Giles Elliott is our specialist Partner in North and North-West London.
For news, expert commentary and invaluable property insight, subscribe to The Insider, our quarterly newsletter, here.
As return-to-office mandates begin to bite, defunct home offices are being repurposed as pilates studios, wine rooms, hangout spaces for teenagers and even cigar rooms, Sarah Rappaport writes for Bloomberg. Our Partner Mark Lawson talks to her about the rise of the hobby room.
An office turned cigar room by Banda. Photograph: Ben Anders
When Mark Lawson, our Southern Counties & High Value Residential & Rural Estates Partner, converted the garden office he’d had built during the Covid-19 pandemic into a teenage party room for his children, he realised he was part of a growing trend. He tells Sarah Rappaport of Bloomberg how clients are reimagining their home spaces to suit new lifestyles.
We use cookies to improve user experience and analyze website traffic. By clicking “Accept,” you agree to our website’s cookie use as described in our Cookie Policy.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.