Kenwood House
11:51 PM
A hidden gem of English Heritage sites, Kenwood House sits on the norther border of Hampstead Heath. And it's free to access the house and gardens! (a £5 donation is encouraged, of course)
It was probably first built in the early 17th century. After changing hands several times, the 1st Earl of Mansfield, William Murray purchased Kenwood for £4,000 and in 1764 to 1779 it was transformed into a neoclassical villa for the 1st Earl of Mansfield.
The last owner, Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh. The Iveagh Bequest Act of 1929 stipulated that Kenwood should be open free of charge to the public with the 'mansion and its contents ... preserved as a fine example of the artistic home of a gentleman of the eighteenth century'.
Thanks, buddy!
There are paths weaving through the 112 acres of parkland. It is set apart from Hampstead Heath park by this fence, separating the natural heathland from the designed landscape of Kenwood.
I first saw Kenwood House in the film, Notting Hill. You know at the end when Julia Roberts character is filming a Henry James novel and Hugh Grant visits? This is that house.
Each room has an array of beautifully framed masterpieces, from Rembrandt to Turner.
I'm always drawn to the renderings of Venice but I took this photo to share the lush walls! The patterns are 3-dimensional velvet opulence. I had to touch it just to be sure :)
While the whole house is lovely, the library really took my breath away!
The gorgeous interior was created by an 18th-century Scottish architect called Robert Adam. He extended the house and designed many of the rooms.
The pink and blue were the original colors though this was brightened in 2013.
I can't find the proof but I am 98% sure that the mirror above the fireplace was designed for short people. I was standing directly in front of the fireplace (obviously) and while I could see myself while standing in the mirror, I disappeared in the photo....wha??? The sorcery!
All the benches are donated/dedicated to someone who loved to be in this park.
I love finding views of our beloved city.
(From left to right: Gherkin, Cheesegrater, The Shard, then way over you can kind of see the London Eye before getting to the BT Tower on the far right.)
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