I am lucky enough to live 15 minutes walk away from Hampstead Heath – a huge park/ forest in north London. And over the years I have collected quite a few memories in there…
We celebrated the beginning of 2017 there with cheap prosecco and lots of merry people around us. We have celebrated birthdays there while having picnics with friends. We run there while training for half marathons. We drove here when I have injured my leg and couldn’t walk properly. We simply walked around when we needed some fresh air.
Hampstead Heath – November 2016
But think one of my favourite parts in Hampstead Heath, apart from dogs obviously, is Kenwood house.
I still remember the very first time I’ve visited there, it was my first winter in London in 2012, we got an overground train from Highbury & Islington and arrived at Hampstead station. I remember it was a chilly winter day, so we just kept walking around and enjoying being lost in the forest and then suddenly Kenwood house appeared. Like a castle in a middle of nowhere. And I still have this feeling every time I approach it.
Kenwood house has been built in 17th-18th century and had a pretty turbulent past, but currently it is owned by English Heritage and they do a great job at keeping it looking amazing. It is a stunning mansion with great architecture and some of Old Master and British paintings, which includes works by Rembrandt and Vermeer.
February 2015
Not going to lie, my most visited part in Kenwood is the cafe. It is open every day and serve an amazing selection of sandwiches, hot food and cakes. The cakes in there are phenomenal! If it is a nice day, I would recommend sitting in the garden surround by greenery.
Kenwood house cafe
October 2014
Overall Kenwood house is a great destination if you are wandering around Hampstead Heath and fancy a treat, or it is definitely worth a visit by itself. They also have a car park at the back if needed.
*this is a part of series of blog posts about my favourite places in London –Connecting the Dots. Check out other post about Clifton Nurseries and Kew Gardens.
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