Rowkin Rovings Blog

Karen and Miles have been wonderful to us during our stay at their place in London and provided us with a very comfortable bed, better diet than we have been subjecting ourselves to and being our tour guides as well as booking all our activities whilst in London. We owe these guys big time!!!

Today, Karen had organised for us to go to Kenwood House in Hampstead. It is also known as the Iveagh Bequest, 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 during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The house and part of the grounds were bought from the 6th Earl of Mansfield in 1925 by Edward Guinness (yes, the Guinness brewer), 1^st Earl of Iveagh, and donated to the nation in 1927. The entire estate came under ownership of the London County Council and was open to the public by the end of the 1920s. It houses a lot of the art collection from Edward Guinness which includes a Rembrandt and many old masters.

Following our trip around the house we headed off towards Hampstead by way of the Heath.

Hampton Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath spanning 320 hectares (790 acres). We loved the huge old trees – so splendid in their magnificence.

The heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, playgrounds, and a training track, and it adjoins Kenwood House.

Karen had printed out from google a walking tour of the very old suburb of Hampstead.

Hampstead is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical, and literary associations. If you look in the distance on this photo, you can see the Shard.

It has some of the most expensive housing in the London area.

Hampstead has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area of the United Kingdom.

We found a lamp post to practice some pole dancing on – really getting into this new activity.

We finished up the walk at The Holly Bush pub for a well deserved beer and coffee. We had covered 10 kilometers. Hampstead is associated with many notable people such as the poet John Keats and used for lots of film locations eg: Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral.

After a little R&R, we caught the underground from Hampstead (deepest station on the underground) and made our way back to Southgate via Kings Cross. Tonight was spent having a lovely home cooked roast chook and vegies and chilling out with Karen and Miles.