Fenton House

Address: Hampstead Grove, Hampstead, London.

Opening hours: Thursday hours 11:00 am–5:00 pm.

Contact: Phone +44 20 7435 3471

Fenton House, at first glance, may look like any other grand house in England. The merchant house in Hampstead, however, goes back to the 17th century and is only being maintained by the National Trust.

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest and Natural Beauty, which is a non-profit association that goes around looking for sites to preserve, has chosen Fenton House. The independent charity is an organization that acquires properties in the hopes of preserving them. As its full name suggests, it looks for places that present either historic interest, natural beauty or both, and finds funding to preserve these selections.

One of such selections, the Fenton House, was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1952 by a certain Lady Binning, who was the last to live and own the property. Fenton House is a detached house. It has a walled garden, which is considered to be large when compared to other London gardens. You might want to have a look at roses in an orchard and some edible growing plants in the kitchen garden. The orchard is 300 years old and offers thirty different types of apples. The scene that it presents is that of an idyllic English countryside.

Fenton House is not just any dressed-up house, though. It also features other historical items, such as a set of early keyboard instruments from the Benton Fletcher collection paintings from Peter Barkworth and Sir William Nicholson. You can also find porcelain, portraits and needlework from the period in which the house was built.

Despite being centuries old, Fenton House remains structurally faithful. It has not undergone significant alterations in its 300 years of being occupied. Even the gardens have not been changed much.

You may also get your extra dose of beautiful sceneries if you go up the balcony. There, you can watch London at a breathtaking angle. Overall, you can try to recreate life in the period by enjoying the view listening to keyboard music and playing croquet in the garden.

A visit to Fenton House is a great way to experience what life was like during the 17th century. Prices for admission depend on whether you come alone or with a group and whether you are a child or an adult. Adults generally have the pay £6.50 each and £5.50 each when with a group. Each child has to pay £3.00 while a family can pay for a package visit worth £16.00.