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In The Know
Did You Know?
( Highly Recommended )
If you would like to see a real country house without leaving central London then Kenwood, on the north of Hampstead Heath, fits the bill perfectly. It was remodelled in 1764 by Robert Adam, whose signature pale blue, neo-classical design (made famous by Wedgwood pottery) is immediately apparent on entry to the house. The paintings at Kenwood are known as the Iveagh Bequest and form one of the most important collections bequeathed to the nation. They are mostly 17th- and 18th-century works from the English, Dutch and French schools, though recent additions include much earlier paintings by Botticelli and Hans Memling. The most famous is a Rembrandt self-portrait, acknowledged as one of his very best. Also notable are works by Frans Hals and Vermeer. The architectural tour de force of the house is the library, with its elaborately decorated tunnel-vaulted ceiling and Corinthian columns. It is considered one of Adam's finest interiors.
The beautiful gardens at Kenwood are the most cultivated part of Hampstead Heath, with a lawned amphitheatre sloping down to a lake. During the summer this becomes London's finest al-fresco classical music venue - American visitors note, Handel's Fireworks Music is played every 4 July with accompanying pyrotechnics!
Address: Hampstead Lane
Phone: (020) 8348 1286
Open: Daily: Apr-Sep 10-6, Oct 10-5, Nov-Mar 10-4. Closed 24, 25 Dec, 1 Jan
Restaurant: Restaurant, café (Inexpensive-Moderately priced)
Metro: Hampstead, then bus 210
Accessible: Good
Admission: Free (admission charge for exhibitions)
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