Published: 22 March 2012
by GEORGIA GRAHAM

A MEDICAL company has expressed interest in using a toll gate house next to Hampstead Heath.

The unnamed firm could store records at the 18th-century building opposite the Spaniards Inn in Hampstead Lane.

Yesterday (Wednesday), a plaque was unveiled by the Heath and Hampstead Society at the Toll Gate House  to mark its long life.

Conservative councillor Chris Knight said: “This is a part of the Heath that is open to the public and that children are constantly using.

It is important that we keep the heritage and history of this building going for those purposes.”

It was once suggested behind closed doors that the building could be used as a sexual health clinic.

But Cllr Knight said: “There are other locations that would be more appropriate and where that sort of thing can be dealt within a proper and controlled fashion.

We have had interest from a medical set-up who are not quite ready to reveal themselves publicly but who have had some serious interest in taking it on as a meeting place for doctors and a place for storing medical records or other things.”

He added: “The most important thing is to have a tenant in and get a lease so there is a proper chance this time that it can be maintained in its now current good condition.”

The Heath and Hampstead Society has campaigned for 10 years to save the Toll Gate House.

It dates back to an 18th-century toll levied on land owned by the Bishop of London. When tolls were abolished, the house struggled to find a new use.

The Toll Gate House  has divided opinion for decades as its position, jutting out into a busy road, is blamed by irate drivers for causing bottlenecks.

Robert Linger, from the society, said at Wednesday’s unveiling of the plaque  by Mayor of Camden Abdul Quadir: “The fact we are still about to stand next to this wonderful house is in itself something of a miracle.

In about 1920, when traffic levels were beginning to build, it was soon felt that the Toll Gate House was becoming something of an obstruction.

There was a feeling that it was slowing traffic down and why not just knock it all down and widen the whole road.”

He added: “In the same scheme there was talk of widening and straightening East Heath Road and if they had gone ahead the area would be more like a dual carriageway by now.

But the Heath and Hampstead Society were immediately against this idea and fought to save the toll house.”

The busy road was closed for two weeks last year for the brick structure to be refurbished.

Pictured: Mayor Abdul Quadir with Robert Linger, Juliet Sonabend and Frank
Harding, of the Heath and Hampstead Society