Exciting news! I have a visitor- mum is here!  YAY!

 

For our first adventure we decided to head up towards Hampstead. We ended up taking the bus from central London to Hampstead. It only took a bit longer than the Tube and we got to see Camden and the Markets.  There are 4 markets and TONNES of tourists everywhere.  The bus was a really easy way to see it without having to deal with the masses.

 

Keats House Museum

 

 

Named after the fantastic Romantic poet John Keats.  This is the home where he lived and wrote his most famous works. Like Ode to a Nightingale among many others.

 

 

It is also the home where he fell in love with Fanny Brawne.

 

 

The house weaves together the story of Keats’s life, work and death at the tender age of 25.  It also gives space to his family, friends, publishers, Brown family, and of course Fanny and her family.

 

 

The garden is lovely and even has been planted to attract birds (like Nightingales! So clever).

 

 

The whole house is really cohesive and well done.  Even if you don’t read every panel you feel like you know the grand picture.  It is lightly furnished but gives a real impression of what it would have been like to live in.

 

 

Seeing his notes and the poems written in his hand is such a treat. They even had Fanny’s engagement ring.

 

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Rating: 5/5

Pros: Really lovely staff/ volunteers, great curation, amazing collection, wonderful building, clear text panels, fun activities for kids (they had an Easter Egg hunt on!), beautiful gardens, nice location, adorable shop, good for all ages

Cons: The staircases are a bit tricky for anyone with mobility issues, no cafe

If you’d like to learn more about Keats I suggest the beautiful film Bright Star all about Fanny and John!

 

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We also stopped by Burgh House and Hampstead Museum! You can read all about my previous visit here.  They are just a 10min walk up the hill along Hampstead Heath. We had a lovely tea and savoury scone at the cafe!