Hampstead Heath

To the north of West Meadow, can be seen a small group of buildings, which were originally a cottage, dairy and brewhouse.

These were built in 1795, described by Sir John Summerson as "a pretty trio, with stuccoed walls and slate roofs with eaves of exaggerated projection, affecting the Swiss chalet style, whose picturesque virtues had just begun to be appreciated".

Lord and Lady Mansfield originated this trivial farming pursuit, which was fashionable in the circles of the gentry.
They kept a small herd of Warwickshire Longhorns, not so much for their milking ability but because they looked good!

By the late 1770s, the farm was the responsibility of Dido Belle, daughter of Mansfield's nephew and a black slave.
There is only one remaining building of the actual farmhouse, now privately owned, but one can still see the original outline of the octagonal brickwork in the ground.

The dairy postdates this period.

One can also see a ditch surrounding the dairy buildings.
This is known as an "Ha-Ha" and discouraged wandering sheep from the Kenwood pastureland from approaching the buildings.

(You can peruse some slides of this area below:)