Kenwood, Camden

A landscaped estate located to the north-​​east of Hampstead Heath, south of Hampstead Lane

The park boasts a fine collection of trees and some of the most beautiful rhodo­dendron gardens in London. Kenwood House, remodelled in the neo-​​classical style by Robert Adam in 1764, is an English Heritage property.

A plaque marks the achievement of Sir Arthur Crosfield, who led a successful campaign after the First World War to save the Kenwood estate from housing devel­opment. In 1927 Edward Cecil Guinness, the first Earl of Iveagh, bequeathed a collection of old master paintings, including a Rembrandt self-​​portrait, one of only five Vermeers in Britain, Gainsborough’s portrait of Countess Howe and works by Reynolds and Turner.

Lakeside concerts, tradi­tionally of classical music, are held at Kenwood in the summer. In recent years the programme has incor­porated more accessible material, attracting larger audiences.

The house has frequently served as a film location, including for scenes in 101 Dalmatians and Notting Hill.

Postal district: NW3
Further reading: Julius Bryant, Kenwood: Paintings in the Iveagh Bequest, Yale University Press, 2003
and John Carswell, The Saving of Kenwood and the Northern Heights, Aidan Ellis, 2001