• Exit from West Hampstead station (Jubilee Line) and turn right up West End Lane…   ///glitz.folds.glory

Once a hamlet far from London, by the late 17th century this area had become the quiet village of West End. Indeed, it was so quiet that some residents claimed they heard the guns of the battle of Waterloo in 1815!
 

The 15 years following 1879 was the most intensive period of building here when the Metropolitan Railway adopted the name West Hampstead for its station on West End Lane, to avoid confusion with the ‘other’ West End in Central London’s theatre district.

Many striking Victorian red brick homes and impressive mansion blocks line the neighbourhood’s streets showing that wealthy people had begun to move out here. The fire station opened in 1901, and still operating today, is Grade II listed as one of a remarkable series built by the London County Council between 1896-1914, with firemen's cottages to the rear.   ///cherry.pure.losses

​

• Cross over to West End Green when convenient and safe, using the crossing. There is a public pay toilet here…      

• Turn right by the Green - past Emmanuel Church - into the continuation of West End Lane…

Emmanuel church was founded in 1875 and the current building was designed by architect J. A. Thomas in the Gothic Revival architectural style and was completed in 1903. The south chapel inside the church has a painting by Frank O. Salisbury whose house and plaque can be viewed later in this walk.

•  Turn left up Cannon Hill…

Marlborough Mansions on your left has a plaque at number 75 commemorating the prominent conductor, Sir Adrian Boult (shown here). He was an advocate of English music at home and abroad - Ralph Vaughan Williams' Job, a masque of dancing, Herbert Howells' Concert for strings and Malcolm Williamson's Concert for organ and orchestra were dedicated to him. He founded the BBC Symphony orchestra in 1930 and his recordings are still very relevant and well-regarded today.   ///sparks.senses.clubs

​

•  At the top of Cannon Hill turn left along Finchley Road…