Switch car horns for creaky floors and the concrete jungle for a blooming beer terrace at this popular pub on Hampstead Heath.

The Spaniards Inn offers a welcome country retreat from the hustle and bustle of the British capital, boasting fine ales and traditional grub in very quaint surrounds.

It takes its name from the Spanish ambassador who erected the building as a country house in 1585.

Since then its history has been long and colourful - highwayman Dick Turpin is said to have used it as a hideout and John Keats penned his famous Ode to a Nightingale here.

Nowadays the Spaniards is largely frequented by locals and tourists, particularly in summer when weekend barbecues and bank holiday spit roasts in the garden make it even more of a honeypot.

It is also an excellent base from which to explore the walks and views on Hampstead Heath.