Harry Hallowes
{{short description|Irishman who became famous for living on Hampstead Heath}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Harry Hallowes
| image = Harry_"the_Hermit"_Hallowes.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Hallowes in 2007
| birth_date = {{circa}} 1936
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death year and age|2016|1936}}
| death_place = London, England
| nationality = Irish
| other_names =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Harry Hallowes (born {{circa|1936}}, died 2016), also known as Harry the Hermit, was an Irishman who became famous for living in a camp on Hampstead Heath in north London. When property developers tried to evict him, he successfully claimed adverse possession. After his death, a romantic comedy called Hampstead was made about his life.
Life
Hallowes was born in County Sligo, Ireland, around 1936 and moved to London in the 1950s. He was evicted from his council flat in Highgate in 1987 and then set up a makeshift camp in a corner of Hampstead Heath near Athlone House, supporting himself by doing odd jobs for locals such as the director Terry Gilliam.{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2007/may/24/property.communities |title=Ragged millionaire who only wanted a place to live |newspaper=The Guardian |author=Karen McVeigh |date=24 May 2007 |access-date=14 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611001214/https://www.theguardian.com/money/2007/may/24/property.communities |archive-date=11 June 2017 |url-status=live }}{{citation |title=The London Encyclopaedia |page=31 |isbn=978-0230738782 |author= Christopher Hibbert, Ben Weinreb|date=9 September 2011 |publisher=Pan Macmillan }} When property developers tried to evict him, he successfully claimed title to the land by adverse possession having lived there for over 12 years.{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6687931.stm |date=24 May 2007 |title=I won't build on tramp's famous Hampstead glade, says developer who paid £154k |publisher=Evening Standard |access-date=31 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902192739/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6687931.stm |archive-date=2 September 2017 |url-status=live }} He was awarded title to the half-acre plot of land in 2007.{{citation|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44498228|date=18 June 2018|title=Hampstead Heath hermit's land sells for £154k at auction|publisher=BBC|access-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525230043/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44498228|archive-date=25 May 2019|url-status=live}}
Death
Hallowes died in February 2016.{{citation |newspaper=Camden New Journal |url=http://archive.camdennewjournal.com/death-of-harry-hallowes |title='Harry the Hermit' death: Who will get squatters rights land next to Hampstead Heath? |date=8 December 2016 |author=Dan Carrier |access-date=24 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227135021/http://archive.camdennewjournal.com/death-of-harry-hallowes |archive-date=27 December 2017 |url-status=dead }} Hallowes left the half-acre plot to two homelessness charities (Shelter and Centrepoint) and following his death the land was auctioned.{{citation|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/i-won-t-build-on-tramp-s-famous-hampstead-glade-says-developer-who-paid-154k-a3868481.html|date=21 June 2018|title=Tramp wins rights to prime land|publisher=Evening Standard|access-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525224848/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/i-won-t-build-on-tramp-s-famous-hampstead-glade-says-developer-who-paid-154k-a3868481.html|archive-date=25 May 2019|url-status=live}} The plot sold for £154,000 which was significantly less than estimates that had been speculatively reported in the press. This was due to an agreement that is over 100 years old which prevents construction on the site.
Film
In 2017, a romantic comedy called Hampstead was based on Hallowes' experience. In the film, actor Brendan Gleeson played the part of a hermit on Hampstead Heath, who is befriended by an American widow played by Diane Keaton.{{citation |title=I just want to be alone, says Harry, the Heath hermit portrayed on big screen |newspaper=Camden New Journal |page=3 |date=22 October 2015}}{{citation |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/hampstead-review-diane-keaton-1202465837/ |journal=Variety |title=Film Review: 'Hampstead' |author=Guy Lodge |date=14 June 2017 |access-date=15 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205051847/http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/hampstead-review-diane-keaton-1202465837/ |archive-date=5 December 2017 |url-status=live }}{{citation |newspaper=Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/hampstead-film-review-north-london-gets-its-hollywood-closeup-a3571911.html |title=Hampstead film review: North London gets its Hollywood close-up |author=Charlotte O'Sullivan |date=23 June 2017 |access-date=5 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128080159/https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/hampstead-film-review-north-london-gets-its-hollywood-closeup-a3571911.html |archive-date=28 November 2017 |url-status=live }}
References
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Category:20th-century squatters
Category:20th-century English people
Category:Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:People from County Sligo