North London Travel Guide

The area of the city covered in this NORTH LONDON section concentrates on just a handful of the capital's satellite villages, now subsumed into the general mass of London. Almost all the northern suburbs are easily accessible by tube from the centre; in fact, it was the expansion of the tube which encouraged the forward march of bricks and mortar into many of these suburbs.

We've covered one of London's finest parks, Regent's Park , framed by Nash-designed architecture and home of London Zoo. Close by is Camden Town , where the weekend market is one of the city's big attractions - a warren of stalls selling street fashion, books, records and ethnic goods.

The real highlights of north London, though, for visitors and residents alike, are Hampstead and Highgate , elegant, largely eighteenth-century developments which still reflect their village origins. They have the added advantage of proximity to one of London's wildest patches of greenery, Hampstead Heath , where you can enjoy stupendous views, kite-flying and nude bathing, as well as outdoor concerts and high art in the setting of Kenwood House .

Also covered are a handful of sights in more far-flung northern suburbs. They include the RAF Museum at Hendon and the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir , the largest Hindu temple outside India.