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HAMPSTEAD , a See also: north-western metropolitan See also: borough of See also: London, See also: England, bounded E. by St Pancras and S. by St Marylebone, and extending N. and W. to the boundary of the county of London
.
Pop
.
(1901), 81,942
.
The name, Hamstede, is synonymous with " See also: homestead," and the See also: manor is first named in a charter of Edgar (957-975), and was granted to the abbey of See also: Westminster by See also: Ethelred in 986
.
It reverted to the See also: Crown in 1550, and had various owners until the close of the 18th century, when it came to See also: Sir See also: Thomas
See also: Spencer See also: Wilson, whose descendants retain it
.
The borough includes the sub-manor of Belsize and
See also: part of the See also: hamlet of Kilburn
.
The See also: surface of the ground is sharply undulating, an elevated spur extending See also: south-west from the neighbourhood of See also: Highgate, and turning south through Hampstead
.
It reaches a height of 443 ft. above the level of the See also: Thames
.
The Edgware Road See also: bounds Hampstead on the west; and the borough is intersected, parallel to this thoroughfare, by See also: Finchley Road, and by Haver-stock See also: Hill, which, continued under the names of Rosslyn Hill, High Street, Heath Street, and North End, crosses the Heath for which Hampstead is chiefly celebrated
.
This is a
See also: fine open space of about 240 acres, including in its bounds the See also: summit of Hampstead Hill
.
It is a sandy See also: tract, in parts well wooded, diversified with several small sheets of See also: water, and to a See also: great extent preserves its natural characteristics unaltered
.
Beautiful views, both near and distant, are commanded from many points
.
Of all the public grounds within London this is the most valuable to the populace at large; the number of visitors on a See also: Bank See also: holiday in See also: August is generally, under favourable conditions, about 100,000; and strenuous efforts are always forthcoming from either public or private bodies when the integrity of the Heath is in any way menaced
.
As early as 1829 attempts to save it from the builder are recorded
.
In 1871 its preservation as an open space was insured after several years' dispute, when the See also: lord of the manor gave up his rights
.
An See also: act of parliament transferred the ownership to the Metropolitan See also: Board of See also: Works, to which See also: body the London County Council succeeded
.
The Heath is continued eastward in Parliament Hill (borough of St Pancras), acquired for the public in 1890; and westward outside the county boundary in Golders Hill, owned by Sir Spenser See also: Wells, See also: Bart., until 1898
.
A See also: Protection Society See also: guards the preservation of the natural beauty and interests of the Heath
.
It is not the interests of visitors alone that must be consulted, for Hampstead, adding to its other attractions a singularly healthy See also: climate, has long been a favourite residential quarter, especially for lawyers, artists and men of letters
.
Among famous residents are found the first See also: earl of See also: Chatham, See also: John
See also: Constable, See also: George Romney, George du Maurier, See also: Joseph See also: Butler, author of the
See also: Analogy, Sir See also: Richard See also: Steele, John See also: Keats, the sisters See also: Joanna and See also: Agnes See also: Baillie, See also: Leigh See also: Hunt and many others
.
The parish See also: church of St John (1747) has several monuments of eminent persons
.
Chatham's residence was at North End, a picturesque quarter yet preserving characteristics of a rural
See also: village; here also See also: Wilkie See also: Collins was See also: born
.
Three old-established inns, the Bull and See also: Bush, the Spaniards, and See also: Jack See also: Straw's See also: Castle (the name of which has no See also: historical significance), claim many great names among former visitors; while the Upper See also: Flask See also: Inn, now a private See also: house, was the meeting-place of the Kit-See also: Cat See also: Club
.
Chalybeate springs were discovered at Hampstead in the 17th century, and early in the 18th rivalled those of
Tunbridge Wells and See also: Epsom
.
The name of Well Walk recalls them, but their fame is lost . There are others at Kilburn . In the south- See also: east Hampstead includes the greater part of See also: Primrose Hill, a public ground adjacent to the north See also: side of See also: Regent's See also: Park
.
The borough has in all about 350 acres of open spaces
.
The name of the sub-manor of Belsize is preserved in several streets in the central part
.
Kilburn, which as a See also: district extends outside the borough, takes name from a stream which, as the Westbourne, entered the Thames at See also: Chelsea
.
See also: Fleet Road similarly recalls the more famous stream which washed the walls of the City of London on the west
.
Hampstead has numerous charitable institutions, amongst which are the North London consumptive hospital, the See also: Orphan Working School, Haverstock Hill (1758), the general hospital and the north-western fever hospital
.
In Finchley Road are the New and See also: Hackney Colleges, both Congregational
.
The See also: parliamentary borough of Hampstead returns one member
.
The borough council consists of a mayor, 7 aldermen and 42 councillors
.
See also: Area, 2265 acres
.
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