Kenwood House
a rembrandt on the heath, for nothing
A free neoclassical mansion on the edge of Hampstead Heath with a Rembrandt, a Vermeer and a Turner on the walls, plus a walled garden and a cracking cafe.
Free to visit · Hampstead · Hampstead · NW3 7JR
Opening: Daily 10am–5pm
Most stately homes charge you a fortune to look round. Kenwood, a beautiful cream neoclassical house sitting at the top of Hampstead Heath, is run by English Heritage and free, including the art on the walls, which is the astonishing part.
The Iveagh Bequest hangs here, and it is no minor collection. There is a Rembrandt self-portrait, one of only a handful of Vermeers in Britain, plus Turner, Gainsborough and Reynolds, all free to stand in front of in elegant Robert Adam rooms, the library among the prettiest in the country.
Outside there is a walled flower garden, a lake, sweeping lawns dotted with sculpture and the wild Heath rolling away below. The old coach house is now a good cafe. It is one of the best value free half days anywhere in London, art and countryside in one.
Getting there: A walk across the top of Hampstead Heath, or a bus to Hampstead Lane from Archway or Golders Green.
Best time to go: A dry day so you get the gardens and the Heath walk too. Weekday mornings are quietest inside the house.
Insider tip: Walk to Kenwood across the Heath rather than taking the bus to the door. You arrive through the woods to the back lawn and the lake, see the free Rembrandt and Vermeer inside, then have the cafe in the old coach house for a well-earned stop.
Official site: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide