This public house dates back to around 1797. Victorian features include the panelled bar counter, fixed snob-screen, coved bar-back, low screenwork and a baffle attached to the counter. Some features, such as the etched glass, are also original but have been repositioned.

The pub also includes a coffee room which will have served customers who wished to enjoy socialising in the pub without alcohol.

History nearby: The National Trust's Fenton House in Windmill Hill was built in the late 17th century by William Eades and has an important collection of early keyboard instruments. The house is named after one P. I. Fenton, a merchant from Riga, Latvia, who bought the house in 1793.

The Holly Bush featured on Evening Crawl of Hampstead in April 2007, and the Walks and Wells: Evening Crawl of Hampstead in August 2013.