Second Nature

Monument to Samuel Rogers and Family

Hornsey · 1.2 miles

Chest tomb of the nonconformist Roger’s family of Stoke Newington. Samuel Roger’s was a celebrated Victorian poet who died in 1855 aged 92. Grade II listed.

Long Lane Pasture

Church End · 1.2 miles

A small green space of roughly 1.1 hectares lies within Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet, and is recorded on maps as a nature reserve. The site, known as Long Lane Pasture, falls under the ownership of Barnet Council while day-to-day stewardship is provided by the Long Lane Pasture Trust, a body that receives no direct funding from the council. The nearest settlement identified on OpenStreetMap is Church End, and visitors reach the reserve via a footpath that joins Long Lane just north of the North Circular Road. The pasture’s origins date back to 1912 when the Municipal Borough of Finchley purchased the land for public recreation. In the 1920s, the construction of the North Circular Road removed about half of the original area. Administrative control shifted in 1965 when Finchley merged into the larger London Borough of Barnet. For many years the ground remained open to the public and served as grazing for horses until roadworks in the 1980s prompted a temporary closure. A proposal to sell the land for housing emerged in 1999, but a local campaign succeeded in overturning the decision in 2006. A 25-year lease was granted to the Trust in 2009, and a management plan now guides efforts to protect the site’s wildlife and to enhance its biodiversity. The reserve offers a quiet setting for walking and observing local flora and fauna, with no admission charge mentioned. Apart from the footpath entry, no additional visitor facilities are recorded, making the pasture a straightforward, low-key destination for nature-focused outings.

Karl Marx

Hornsey Rise · 1.9 miles

A Grade I listed monument stands in the Eastern part of Highgate Cemetery, North London, close to Hornsey Rise. The memorial, dedicated to Karl Marx, his wife Jenny von Westphalen and other family members, consists of a large bronze bust of Marx’s head and shoulders set on a marble plinth. The front of the plinth bears the closing line of *The Communist Manifesto* – “Workers of all lands unite” – while the side panels display further quotations and the dates of birth and death for those interred. The bodies were originally laid to rest elsewhere in the Eastern cemetery after Marx’s death on 14 March 1883. In 1954 the Marx Memorial Committee secured an exhumation licence and, during the night of 26/27 November, the remains of Marx, his wife, daughter Eleanor, grandson Harry Longuet and housekeeper Helene Demuth were moved about 100 yards to the present site. Laurence Bradshaw designed the new tomb, and the Communist Party of Great Britain funded its construction. The memorial was unveiled on 15 March 1956 in a ceremony led by the party’s General Secretary, Harry Pollitt. Entry to Highgate Cemetery is controlled by the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust, which charges an admission fee to support upkeep; the tomb itself is owned by the Marx Grave Trust. The site has experienced several acts of vandalism, including painted swastikas in 1960, bomb attempts in the 1970s, blue paint in 2011 and attacks in February 2019. In response, 24-hour video surveillance has been installed around the monument. Visitors can reach the cemetery via public transport to the nearby Hornsey Rise area and follow the designated pathways to the memorial.

Hampstead Heath Extension

Brent Cross · 1.9 miles

A stretch of green land adjoining the historic Hampstead Heath lies to the north-east of the main area, close to Brent Cross. Designated as a park, the Hampstead Heath Extension forms part of the wider open-space network that includes the original heath, Golders Hill Park and the surrounding woodlands and ponds. The site falls within the London Borough of Barnet, while the larger heath complex is primarily administered by the City of London Corporation and largely situated in the London Borough of Camden. The extension shares the character of the adjoining heath, which is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Although specific facilities on the Extension are not listed, the broader heath area offers a mixture of open grassland, woodland, and water features, together with a lido, playgrounds and a training track on the main site. Access is public and free of charge, with the nearest urban reference point being Brent Cross. Management responsibilities rest with the City of London Corporation, the same body that looks after the adjoining Hampstead Heath. Visitors can therefore enjoy the same unrestricted entry and natural setting that the larger heath provides, while remaining within the Barnet boundary.

Hampstead Heath

Highgate · 1.9 miles

Hampstead Heath is an ancient heath in London, spanning 320 hectares. This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay. The heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, a lido, playgrounds, and a training track, and it adjoins the former stately home of Kenwood House and its estate. The south-east part of the heath is Parliament Hill, from which the view over London is protected by law.

Hampstead Heath

Highgate · 1.9 miles

Dating back to at least the 10th century, this 320-hectare open space stretches across a sandy ridge that forms one of the highest points in London, linking the districts of Hampstead and Highgate. Managed by the City of London Corporation, the heath lies principally within the London Borough of Camden, while the adjoining Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park fall under the London Borough of Barnet. The terrain is undulating, interspersed with ponds, ancient and more recent woodlands, a lido, playgrounds and a training track, and it borders the historic Kenwood House estate. Along the eastern edge a chain of ponds runs, three of them serving as open-air public swimming pools; these water bodies were originally reservoirs for the River Fleet. The site is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and part of the adjoining Kenwood estate holds the status of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Summer concerts are held on the lawns, and the vista from Parliament Hill is protected by law. Public access is open and facilities such as the lido, playgrounds and the training track are available throughout the year.