Primrose Hill – View of London's Skyline

Craig’s review… The first time you clap eyes on Primrose Hill you’ll wonder what all the fuss is about. The way that people describe it you’ll be half-expecting to see a load of snow on top and mountain goats clinging to the side but trust me, once you start climbing the slope you’ll wish it had a cable car because this hill is a lot steeper than it looks.

Climbing up Primrose Hill

It’s the kind of hill that makes you turn around and look at the view halfway up, just so you can have a couple of minutes rest. You’ll sit down and re-tie your already tight shoelaces so you can sneak in a breather. But when you finally reach the summit (five hours later, if you’re unfit like me) you’ll be looking down on the whole of London. You’ll have an uninterrupted view from the London Eye to the skyscrapers at Canary Wharf.

They’ve thoughtfully installed a couple of benches on the top and a metal plaque to help you pick out the places, but where’s the ice cream van? There’s no burger van either. If you want a drink then you’ll have to bring it with you.

View of London’s skyline from the summit

Now that we’re up here shall we have a game of I-Spy? I’ll shout out some list of landmarks and you have to find them.

If you can’t see The Shard then you need to get your eyes tested so we’ll skip that one. The London Eye and St. Paul’s are extremely easy as well, so we’ll forget those. But how about the Gherkin and Canary Wharf? The Houses of Parliament are more of a challenge, and Westminster Cathedral will really test you (and I do mean the cathedral, not the abbey). If you really want to impress me then try and find the ArcelorMittal Orbit, because that’s too new to even appear on the plaque.

After you’ve seen all the buildings you can turn your attention to the humans, because there are all sorts of puffed-out people up here: people with running shoes and stopwatches and giant tripod cameras. One guy has just chucked his frisbee off the summit and the wind has lifted it fifty feet in the air, dumping it halfway down the hill. It’s very popular with joggers and dogs as well… and mountain climbers.

I’m standing next to a bloke who has dressed himself up like Edmund Hillary, complete with spiked shoes and a walking pole. He’s staring out from the summit like he’s just bested Everest. Er… you’re only ten minutes from Camden, mate.

Worth a visit? ★★☆Value for money? n/aGood for kids? ★★☆Easy to get to? ★★☆

I also recommend… If you enjoy this then try Regent’s Park (walk it in 14 mins or travel from St Johns Wood to Regents Park via tube). If you enjoy climbing up hills then check out the view from Greenwich Hill and Parliament Hill

The author Craig Cross owns city-guide.london and has spent the last decade reviewing the capital’s landmarks, attractions and hotels. His guidebook London Squire is available from Amazon