Mount Vernon: The Saturday Street

The Saturday Street is our weekly series in which we unlock the stories behind the names of London's famous thoroughfares. It's compiled by London Walks guide Karen – listed by Travel + Leisure magazine as The World's Greatest Tour Guide. You can find Karen on Saturdays guiding her Old Westminster and British Museum walks. If you've got a London street query or suggestion, email Karen at the usual address
Mount Vernon NW3 Location: The Borough of Camden
This leafy Hampstead road is named for one General Charles Vernon who owned property in the area from 1785. London Walks guides in Hampstead are invariably met with the question, “Is this the same Vernon as George Washington’s?” Close, but no cigar – but close only in that Washington’s Mount Vernon was also named for a military man – Vice Admiral Edward Vernon.