00:00Deep inside Hampstead Heath lies a hidden garden, an ideal escape from the chaos of London.
00:06This is the Hill Garden and Pagola, a horticultural wonder that's the ideal spot for a romantic walk
00:13this Valentine's Day. Away from the skyline views of the capital on Parliament Hill,
00:19these walkways, climbing vines and plant beds crisscross the hillside on the West Heath
00:24as it rolls down towards the suburban sprawl of North West London.
00:33Its story begins back in 1904 when Lord Leverhulme, after building his fortune in
00:39the soap business, splashed out on a new garden to host parties and receptions.
00:47Enlisting the services of world-famous landscape gardener Thomas Mawson,
00:52two decades later his garden was finally built. Thankfully it's no longer private property.
00:59After years of neglect and disrepair following the soap magnate's death,
01:03the City of London took over its running, restoring it and opening it to the public.
01:13It retains much of its faded grandeur amid the worn wooden beams,
01:17cascading wisteria and magical walkways. It opens every day at 8.30am,
01:24so head down and lose yourself in this slice of hidden London. You won't be disappointed.
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