This is a country house in London. The old coach house is now a restaurant, and packed inside and out in the summer months with people fetching cream teas. It is expensive, but sometimes you can nick things if the queues are dense and block the view from the tills (- insider Londoner tip for you there!). The house itself is surprisingly ugly, but, thank God, no longer painted bright pink as it was once long ago. At the back is the museum with paintings in it, including some famous and beautiful Rembrandts. The main point of the place is for parents to sit down while their children run wild in the field in front. In the winter we used to go toboganning, but it no longer snows so deeply in London, alas.

A great London freebie! Although Kenwood House is looking a little tired inside, the remnants of an past age is still enough to enjoy. The paintings alone make the trip worth while. Oustide the house really comes in to its own with beautiful settings at set at the north end of Hampstead Heath. A steep bank falls down to the lake where people can sit and take in the sun, the weather and the views.

The grounds were smart and tidy and the staff very helpful. There is also catering although we didn't experience these, a small shop for momentos and toilets.

Fantastic way to while away 2 hours in London!

Kenwood House is a magnificent house set in acres of peaceful parklands with sweeping and majestic views of London.The house has amongst its splendid interiors the wonderful Iveagh bequest of paintings.

Kenwood House is set in a leafy part of Fashionable Hampstead from where you can get a panoramice view over London and feel superior. But if you turn around and go inside, you'll encounter an enviable art collection that shouldn't be missed. Kenwood House was remodelled for Lord Mansfield by the great Robert Adam. Within hangs the Iveagh Bequest of paintings, including masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrant, Turner, Reynolds and Gainsborough, as well as the Suffolk Collection's magnificent portraits of Elizabethan and Stuart characters. It's a pretty stunning collection all in all and in an incredible setting, and all free, free, free! Excellent.

I’m not in the habit of going to stately homes, and it’s not really my thing. I got dragged round too many of them as a kid. But when I found myself here in the middle of a run it seemed churlish not to go in, especially as it’s free. First the outside space: there’s a café and some nice toilets down one end. I didn’t use the café, but it looked nice.

Inside the house there’s a couple of bits I especially remember. There’s a big room downstairs with some amazing paintings on the ceiling. Actually they were way too ‘romantic’ in style for my tastes, but still impressive. They were also a bit mysterious until I got the trick of this place: they have laminated cards outside the doors of the rooms with all the information on them. So you have to borrow one of those rather than read notices as you go round. Upstairs they’ve got several rooms full of old master portraits, many of which you’ll have seen. It’s interesting how many are not as detailed as you may have thought from seeing them on TV and in books. They trick the eye. Very clever that. I’ve got to admit to really preferring some lovely bits of furniture they’ve got up there.

When I was there they also had a black history exhibition that was very interesting. So, though not really my thing, I did enjoy my visit. If it is your thing, I’d recommend it. If not, and you are passing, why not?