Kenwood House is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. The house was originally constructed in the 17th century and served as a residence for the Earls of Mansfield through the 18th and 19th centuries.
Kenwood House (also known as the Iveagh Bequest) is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath.
The house was originally constructed in the 17th century and served as a residence for the Earls of Mansfield through the 18th and 19th centuries. Part of the estate was bought by the Guinness family in the early 20th century, and the whole property and grounds came under ownership of the London County Council and was open to the public by the end of the 1920s. It remains a popular local tourist attraction.
The original house was presumed to have been built by the King’s Printer, John Bill in 1616, and was known as Caen Wood House.[5][6] It was acquired by the Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, William Bridges in 1694, who demolished the property and rebuilt it; the original brick structure remains intact under the facade added in the 18th century.[5] The orangery was added in about 1700.[7] Bridges sold the house in 1704, and it went under several owners until 1754, when it was bought by the future Earl of Mansfield, William Murray.