John Constable
John Constable (11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham Vale, located on the Essex-Suffolk border in east England, the area surrounding his home – now known as "Constable Country" – which he invested with an intensity of affection.
Although his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art, he was never financially successful. He became a member of the establishment after he was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts at the age of 52.
Judge’s Walk
In 1821 Constable lived in a house near Hampstead Heath in London. This painting depicts Judges Walk, a road that acquired the name during the Great Plague of 1665, when the judges abandoned London and held court under the cover of the trees depicted in the canvas, on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
Admiral’s House (waypoint N51 33.580 W000 10.804)
Admiral's House (originally known as Golden Spikes and later as The Grove) is a Grade II listed house in Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. The house is featured in multiple paintings by John Constable.
In the 19th century, John Constable painted Admiral's House a number of times. One painting, The Grove, or Admiral's House, Hampstead, was later on display at the Tate Britain, and is now in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The painting is believed to be the view of Admiral's House from Constable's nearby house. Another painting, The Romantic House at Hampstead has been in the collections of the National Gallery.
The Salt Box
Throughout Constable’s time in Hampstead, the Heath and its changing cloudscapes were a favourite subject of his. In 1819 he painted Hampstead Heath, with the House Called ‘The Salt Box’ featuring the area near Judges Walk and the (now disappeared) Branch Hill Pond, with Albion Cottage in the distance. He painted many scenes of Branch Hill Pond around this time. He also had a habit of drawing or painting ‘Fir Trees at Hampstead’, leading to these trees being nicknamed Constable’s Firs. It is thought that a row of trees along the Viaduct Path might be the last survivors of the ones that Constable painted.
About the Cache
You’ll be looking for a magnetic micro geocache container that contains only the log strip. Please, bring your own pen (BYOP).
About Hampstead_Twins
We are Hampstead locals and have recently discovered geocaching activity. As we are delighted with the place where we live and with the stories we find in every corner of this locality, we decided to share some curious facts about our neighbourhood and encourage geocaching activity in the region. We hope you enjoy.
If you found any errors, had any ideas for improvement while doing the route or even just want to talk with us and encourage more caches like this one, feel free to send us a message. We will respond to everyone as soon as possible. Let’s get in touch.
What’s Next?
Did you like what you saw here? If you haven't already, how about trying to find another cache nearby? Look for ‘Whitestone Garden’ cache and have fun!