Until Saturday the weather had been atrocious and we have been walking out in the wet and wind which is not conducive to photo-taking. But then the weather changed. The sun came out and the sky turned blue and I have managed to capture some local landmarks here in the Swiss Cottage/Belsize Park area of northwest London.
Belsize Village Square
Here is the local “Banksy” but it isn’t a Banksy – read all about it here.
Make Tea not War in Belsize Village
Even the local Fire Station is an Arts and Crafts building. It closed down last year. I expect it will be converted into apartments.
Then along with the world and his wife we headed for Primrose Hill summit to study the view, watch the kites and rub noses with other dogs (the dog, not me!).
It’s a pretty impressive view when you get up there.
Regents Park Road
One of my favourite streets in London Regents Park Road has everything : bookshop, dress shop, cafes and restaurants, interiors and fabrics shops, bread and patisserie shops and delis. I also heard a lot of French being spoken so seems to be popular with French families.
Friedrich Engels [1820-1895], political philosopher, lived here (122 Regents Park Road) from 1870 to 1894
Two neighbouring plaques in St Mark’s Crescent
On the right, number 11, (pale yellow house) lived Arthur Hugh Clough [1819-1861], poet and author of Persephone Books reprint “Amours de Voyages” from 1854-1859. And in the pale blue painted house with the plaque lived the historian and broadcaster A.J.P. Taylor [1906-1990] from 1955 to 1978. Next door, at the dark grey painted house number 14, is the plaque commemorating William Roberts [1895-1980], artist, who lived, worked and died here 1946-1980.
The Regents Canal
The Regents Canal
23 Fitzroy Road, the green painted house near the middle of this row, was the home of W.B. Yeats [1865-1939] Irish dramatist and poet. It was also the house where, on 11 February 1963, the American poet and novelist Sylvia Plath [1932-1963] apparently took her own life. There is no plaque to explain this. Her plaque is attached to the nearby house at 3, Chalcot Square where she had lived from 1960 to 1961.
War Memorial by St Mary’s R.C. Church, Primrose Hill
And here is Ye Olde Swiss Cottage itself
miladysboudoir 
I’m disappointed that your dog is not in any of the pictures.
Just for you I’ll see what I can do! he just doesn’t keep still. It’s hard enough taking pictures whilst holding tightly on to the lead!
I love walking in London, rather than using the underground, and have done this for many years. Have you discovered walkit.com – quite useful for planning? No doubt you have!
Yes, I agree and I walk whenever I have time. I used to take the bus more – upstairs, great views – but right in the centre it tends to be so clogged up and there are so many traffic lights that it just takes too long. Thank you for drawing my attention to walkit.com. I didn’t know it but I will use it from now on!
[…] Earlier this month our son moved to his new house in Surrey and I made my first visit to this part of the world last weekend. Apart from visits to Hampton Court (which is almost London, really) I’ve never been to Surrey before so lots of to explore on future trips. Sadly, though, no more walking the dog round Belsize Park! […]