Hampstead and Highgate are two hilltop villages on either side of Hampstead Heath. If you're house hunting in north London, you may well be looking at both. They have a lot in common: old village centres, steep streets, period houses and big green spaces. But they sit in different postcodes, on different branches of the Northern line and, for part of Highgate, under a different council.
This guide is about the places themselves: the neighbourhoods, the streets and homes, how you get around and which council looks after which street. For prices, see house removals in London; for the local parking rules, see our pages on removals in Hampstead and removals in Highgate. If you're moving a larger family house, our guide to planning a family-home move in north London covers the survey, timing, packing and storage.
Hampstead and Highgate at a glance
- Hampstead (NW3) is in the London Borough of Camden.
- Highgate (N6) is split down the High Street between Haringey and Camden.
- Both are on hills. Expect steep streets, steps and narrow lanes in both village centres.
- Both are on the Northern line, but on different branches.
- Green space on the doorstep. Hampstead Heath and Highgate Wood are both looked after by the City of London Corporation, not the boroughs.
Which council is which
In Hampstead it's simple: it's in Camden, so Camden Council is your council for council tax and parking.
Highgate is the one to check. The village is divided between two boroughs, and the boundary runs down the middle of Highgate High Street:
- The Camden side includes part of the village around Pond Square, plus Fitzroy Park and Waterlow Park.
- The Haringey side covers the east and north of the High Street, including Archway Road and Shepherd's Hill.
Two houses a few doors apart can have different councils, different parking zones and different rules for moving day. Before you book anything, check which side your new street is on. On the Haringey side, the council's online CPZ map lets you "use the search box to find a specific address", then click the zone to see its operating times.
Highgate is also a conservation area. Haringey's list of conservation areas says its Highgate conservation area was "Designated on 21 December 1967" (checked 5 Nov 2026).
The neighbourhoods
Hampstead
Hampstead's centre is the old village around the High Street: a dense cluster of streets and alleys, with narrow streets and steps on steep ground. The land rises to Whitestone Pond at the top and falls away to South End Green at the bottom.
Beyond the village, Belsize Park has its own Tube station, and Hampstead Heath and Finchley Road & Frognal stations are on the Overground.
Highgate
Highgate village sits on top of its hill, around the High Street and Pond Square. From there the roads drop away steeply: Highgate Hill becomes noticeably steeper below the High Street, and Highgate West Hill makes a steep descent.
On the Haringey side, Archway Road has Victorian and Edwardian parades with flats above the shops. The village also has narrow lanes and private roads: Fitzroy Park, on the Camden side, is a private road gated at its northern end.
Homes and streets, and what they mean on moving day
Both villages have a mix of homes, and the type of home is what shapes a move here:
- Old terraced houses in the village cores. Highgate's centre has small 17th- to 19th-century terraced houses.
- Houses split into flats. Both areas have converted houses, and in Highgate some larger houses have been divided into flats. That usually means a shared entrance and stairs, and often no lift. Our guide to moving out of a flat conversion covers measuring for narrow stairs and shared hallways.
- Mansion blocks and parades. Highgate has mansion blocks, and flats above the shops on Archway Road.
- Steps, lanes and private roads. On a stepped or gated address, a vehicle may not get close at all. Holly Terrace in Highgate is reached by a flight of steps from Highgate West Hill, and Bacons Lane is a narrow lane running off the village. In Hampstead, narrow streets and steps decide how close a vehicle can get.
If you're viewing a house, look at it the way a removal crew would: how far it is from the nearest place a van can stop, how many steps there are, and whether a sofa or wardrobe will turn on the stairs. Pianos and other heavy items on a stepped approach need their own plan. We move uprights, baby grands, full grands and antique instruments, and assess the stairs, doorframes and parking at both ends first. See piano movers in London.
Getting around
The Northern line splits at Camden Town, and the two villages are on different branches:
- Hampstead and Belsize Park are on the Edgware branch.
- Highgate and Archway are on the High Barnet branch.
So the two villages are close on the map, but going between them by Tube means changing at Camden Town. On the Overground, Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak are both on the Mildmay line, and Gospel Oak is on the Suffragette line too.
If you're moving for work, try the commute from the new street before you commit, at the time you'd really travel.
Parking: start with the council
Parking rules come from your street's council, so the first job is the one above: work out which side of the boundary you're on.
On the Haringey side of Highgate, the Highgate, Highgate Station and Highgate Station Outer zones are controlled Monday to Friday, 10am to 12 noon, but Priory Gardens runs "Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6.30pm" (Haringey Council, checked 5 Nov 2026). Haringey suspends bays for removals, and you "must apply at least 2 weeks before you want the suspension to start". Its suspensions only apply during the hours of the zone the bay is in.
For the Camden side and for Hampstead, our Hampstead page and Highgate page set out Camden's suspension rules. Haringey doesn't suspend red routes; for those, you contact Transport for London.
Once you've moved in
- Council tax: register with whichever council your new home is in. Haringey says: "If you're moving into a property in Haringey, you must register at your new address for Council Tax" (checked 5 Nov 2026). On the Camden side, register with Camden Council.
- Parking permit: if you have a car, check your council's residents' permit for your zone.
- Bins and schools: Haringey's moving page also points you to checking your bin collection day and applying for a school place. Do the same with Camden if you're on that side.
How we plan moves in NW3 and N6
Highgate and Hampstead are both among the areas we cover. Every house removal starts with a free inventory assessment of your home, done digitally or in person. At both addresses we note the stairs, the street, the parking zone and how far we'll carry, so the vehicle and the carry are planned for your street before moving day. Your price is confirmed in writing before moving day, and nothing is added on the day without your agreement.
Tell us both addresses, and which council each street is in if you know.
Get a quote for house removals in London · Removals in Highgate · Removals in Hampstead · Contact us · or call 020 3545 1192.