Primrose Hill exercises a hold upon the imagination of everyone who climbs it. The site of William Blake’s vision of the sun, it is a green sanctuary offering a superb and ever-changing view over London. Long before it became a public park in 1842, Primrose Hill attracted duellists, poets, revolutionaries, soldiers, sportsmen and visionaries, as well as prospective developers and large numbers of ordinary Londoners. Martin Sheppard’s scintillating history of Primrose Hill, one of London’s greatest landmarks, recounts the many remarkable and sometimes extraordinary events on the hill over the centuries.

‘Primrose Hill is London’s crowning glory. In New York, Paris or Shanghai the place to experience the best view of the city is from a really high building. Not so London, which is best seen from a gentle, very English hilltop. For all London lovers, Martin Sheppard’s book is a truly delightful addition to the city’s history.’ – Sir Terry Farrell