Famous writers were inspired in Hampstead, London
2010-06-16
London is a world-class city that has played home to a host of historical figures. One of the greatest sets of famous London residents is the amazing writers who called the area home. For literary scholars on a vacation to London, the Hampstead district is a great place to glimpse the sites of some of these writers' greatest inspirations.
For example, Hampstead was home to the famous poet, John Keats. The Keats house has been restored as a museum dedicated to Keats and his work. Visitors interested in Keats will also want to stop by the nearby Spaniard's Inn, where Keats composed the classic poem "Ode on a Nightingale."
Perhaps analytical writing is of more interest. Then travelers might want to visit the Freud Museum, also located in Hampstead. Freud lived and worked out of this building, and the museum dedicated to him there includes some of his personal artifacts, including the couch that his patients used.
Nearby Hampstead Heath is one of the largest parks in London, and has been expertly maintained despite the growing city area around it. This natural refuge was the inspiration for writer C.S. Lewis, who imagined the world of Narnia while walking through the park on a snowy day.
Hampstead may not be the most high-profile district in London, but it does have a fantastic history when it comes to the writers who called the area home.