Quality
Hotel Hampstead
(10 minutes walking distance and bus)
Perched on a ridge of high ground stands a beautiful white
villa, overlooking a lake and acres of lush parkland that
will be instantly recognisable to fans of the film "Notting
Hill", Kenwood House, which is sited on the north side
of Hampstead Heath, is a fine neoclassical mansion remodelled
by Robert Adam between 1764-73 for its then owner, William
Murray, the 1st Earl of Mansfield. In the 20th Century,
the house was purchased by Lord Iveagh, the Guiness magnate.
It has fabulous landscaped gardens and in the summer open
air concerts, often with fireworks, are held in the bowl
by the lake from Late June until September.
The house contains the most important private collection
of paintings ever given to the nation, the Iveagh Bequest.
This collection includes a very important selection of
paintings by Rembrandt, Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough
and others.
Remaining very much as it was remodelled in the 18th century,
Kenwood's associations have presented a remarkable irony
throughout history. Looking every inch the impressive
home of a wealthy London gentleman, Kenwood has never
belonged to an Englishman. Owned by Scotsmen for over
two centuries, and finally bought by an Irishman in the
20th century, with most of the rebuilding work completed
by one of the most renowned Scottish architects of all
time.
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