1. Willow Road
Erno Goldfinger’s modernist house, part of three completed in 1939, can be tricky to visit –guided tours from 11-3, then open house till 5pm, and you may have to queue. But be patient as the guides are as knowledgeable, and a snoop round is fascinating. And the Heath is right there, beside you. 2 Willow Road NW3
2. St Stephen’s
Gorgeous and vast, St Stephen’s Rosslyn Hill, which opened in 1873, is a newly restored Grade I Listed Building, open to the public for the first time in 30 years. It’s one of the last surviving works of the Victorian architect Samuel Sanders Teulon and now plays host to art exhibitions, markets and events.
3. The Magdala
Don’t miss a pint at the Magdala pub opposite the overground station, forever known as the place where Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged, shot her abusive lover in 1955. While the bullet holes in the wall out front are still in evidence, spend a moment reading the framed tabloid headlines inside too. 2a South Hill Park NW3
4. George Orwell
South End Green boasts two plaques to George Orwell. In 1934 Orwell (or Eric Blair, as he was born) moved to what is now Le Pain Quotidien on Pond Street (note the plaque) which was then a bookshop called Booklovers’ Corner. The other is on the last house on Parliament Hill, right by the Heath, where Orwell lived before relocating to – where else? – Kentish Town.
5. Keats House
Once occupied by John Keats from 1818 to 1820, he is said to have written Ode to a Nightingale under a plum tree in the garden. As well as being an atmospheric space to wander, it’s quite a literary centre too, with readings, book clubs, and poetry often in the evenings. Generally open 1-5pm. 10 Keats Grove NW3
