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Kenwood House

Description: Set in splendid grounds beside Hampstead Heath, this outstanding neoclassical house holds one of the most important ... more

Kenwood House ... collections of paintings ever given to the nation. Works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Reynolds and Gainsborough all hang against a backdrop of sumptuous rooms.The house also contains paintings from the Suffolk Collection, with magnificent full-length portraits by William Larkin and Royal Stuart images by Van Dyck and Lely.
The house was remodelled by Robert Adam from 1764 to 1779, when he transformed the original brick building into a majestic villa for the great judge, Lord Mansfield. The richly decorated library is one of his masterpieces and a feast for the eyes.
Later Earls of Mansfield redesigned the parkland and Kenwood remained in the family until 1925. When developers tried to buy the estate, the house and grounds were saved by a brewing magnate, the first Earl of Iveagh. In 1927, when the Earl died, he bequeathed the Kenwood Estate and part of his collection of pictures to the nation.

Newest Review: ... the Greek Gods Baccus and Ceres (wine and agriculture) was painted by Antonio Zucchi. What I have failed to mention so far is that Kenwood House is classified as a "suburban villa", rather than a grand country house in the style of somewhere like Chatsworth for instance. This explains its rather more modestly proportioned rooms. Personally I find houses such as Kenwood far more ... more

... friendly, less intimidating than the huge country piles which I, the man in the street, have trouble connecting with. From the hall we proceed along a fairly narrow passageway, past the Great Stairs, by period standards actually quite a modest stair...more

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Kenwood House: KENWOOD - THE PERFECT ANTIDOTE TO WINDSOR CASTLE (2432 words)
by Richada - written on 02/11/05 (Very useful, 950 readings)
Rating:

Here we were with a day to kill in the London area. It is just after 9.30, the outside temperature is already 23deg.C and it is 16th August, the children are still very much on holiday. We are not wanting to drive too far, in a Honda Chiswick loan car, a very glassy Honda Jazz 1.2, has no air conditioning, also our "out and about" budget had been fully used up earlier in the summer showing my Polish in laws around, not least during the exorbitantly expensive visit to Windsor Castle that you have all been so kind to comment on! What is there to do then in London, to put it crudely, that is cheap? Well, we do have our English Heritage cards and guide ...

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