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I had limited time in the London Borough of Camden, spending just a few hours walking around on two of my three visits to the city. This entry includes only a small handful of what there is to see in Camden. It doesn’t include Highgate, Hampstead, or Hampstead Heath.
Russell Square
On my very first visit to London in November 2004, I visited the British Museum, which is located in the Bloomsbury district. To get there, I walked through Russell Square. It was laid out in 1804.
Hotel Russell
On the east side of Russell Square is the Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel, which was formerly known as the Hotel Russell. It was built in 1898 by Charles Fitzroy Doll and opened in 1900. Doll also designed the dining room on the Titanic, which was based on the dining room of the Hotel Russell.
Camden Town
When I visited London in July 2019, my friend Carol walked me through Camden, Hampstead, and Highgate. I met her outside the Camden Town tube station and walked up Camden High Street. It was an absolute zoo full of souvenir shops and tourists. Carol mentioned that in the past it was a nice quiet area without all the shops selling tourist garbage.
Camden Lock
From there, we passed over the Regent’s Canal and took a quick look at Camden Lock. The canal was built between 1812 and 1820. The lock lift boats eight feet.
Camden Market
On the other side of the canal is Camden Market, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in London. It started as a small Sunday craft market in March 1974 and has grown into a huge market offering clothing, crafts, food, and more.
Rather than spend time perusing the shops and sampling food, we walked through a small section of the market and continued on.
Primrose Hill District
Next, we walked down the road a bit before crossing a bridge to Primrose Hill. It’s one of London’s most exclusive neighborhoods and there are some beautiful homes in the area.
Engels House
At 122 Regent’s Park Road, we saw the blue plaque for Friedrich Engels. The German philosopher lived in the house from 1870 to 1894.
Primrose Hill
From there, we walked up the actual Primrose Hill, which opened to the public in 1842. Duels and prize fights once took place there. It’s a pleasant walk to the top of the 213 foot hill. Several people were sitting on the grass and chatting while others were walking or jogging.
At the top of the hill, there are spectacular views of the London skyline. It was possible to spot several different landmarks, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and skyscrapers in the City of London. A panel points out the buildings you can see from the hill.
There’s also a plaque dedicated to Welsh antiquarian Iolo Morganwg on the ground. It was placed there on June 21, 2009, to commemorate the first meeting of the Gorsedd of Bards of the Island of Britain, which occurred on the same day in 1792 on top of Primrose Hill.
St. Mary’s Primrose Hill
After leaving Primrose Hill, we passed the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin. It opened for worship on July 2, 1872.
Belsize Park
From there, we walked through Belsize Park down England’s Lane. We passed Primrose Gardens, which was originally named Stanley Gardens. It was once used by the Hampstead Cricket Club, founded in 1865. The homes around the oval garden were built in the 1880s.
Finally, we continued up Haverstock Hill to Hampstead and Highgate. It was a very short look at a small part of Camden, and I hope to explore more in the future.
