Hello how are you? Today, I’m telling you about one of my favorite places in London: Hill garden and its pergola. It is a picturesque place. It is located north of Hampstead Heath Park. It was created by a wealthy bourgeois named Lord Leverhulme, a wealthy philanthropist and lover of landscape gardening, and Thomas Mawson. Do not be surprised to see several photoshoots or shoots taking place on the day you visit! This place is very well known and appreciated.
The history of the Pergola dates back to 1904 when Lord Leverhulme bought a property not far from Hampstead heath called « The Hill ». Over the next year, Lord Leverhulme enlarged his estate by acquiring the surrounding land, and with this new space found, his dream was to build a space that would be his legacy: his Pergola. He wanted this to be the setting for extravagant parties in an Edwardian (neo barocco) garden, while also being a place where his family and friends could spend long summer evenings enjoying the spectacular gardens.
To turn this idea into reality, Lord Leverhulme enlisted the help of Thomas Mawson, the famous landscape architect of the time, and the construction of the Pergola began in 1905. One of the main difficulties in the construction of the raised gardens of the Pergola was the amount of material that was needed, and luckily for Thomas Mawson, the neighboring Hampstead extension of the Northern Line provided the solution! Today, to get to the pergola, you have to get off at « Golders Green » station (Zone 3) but you can also walk from « Hampstead » station (Zone 3). Instead of bringing in material from further afield (and the associated cost), an agreement was made to haul the spoil from the underground extension a few hundred yards to « The Hill ». Progress was rapid and the Pergola was completed a year later in 1906. Over the following years Lord Leverhulme was able to further expand his estate, allowing him to build a further extension of his Pergola in 1911. and again in 1925.
Sadly, after Lord Leverhulme’s death, the Pergola entered a slow decline, and to this day is still a shell of its former opulence. However, what it lacks in sparkle and shine more than makes up for it in the atmosphere that emerges there. There is a feeling that improvements should be made but at the same time if this was the place it would probably pay off. Below, from the pergola, there is a pretty garden. Go to the end of the pergola to be able to access the park. It is a good spot for a picnic. There is another English garden which is worth a visit.
Being missflo 