Ode to the refurbishment...

Well, it's open for visitors and splendid it looks in it's full restoration - so come on down to Keat's House (Wentworth Place).

But I thought that these picture of the house under scaffolding were more unusual and less likely to survive the gaze of history and memory.

The House is of course in Keat's Grove off Downshire Hill and South End Road and is immediately next to Heath Library and has stunning garden and grounds.

There is a really good website set up by the City of London which you should take time to look at

http://www.keatshouse.cityoflondon.gov.uk/

The refurbishment has been done meticulously and in huge amounts of detail and there are a great range of new exhibits - I'm especially struck by Fanny Brawne's engagement ring from John Keats!

Opening times
Mondays (except bank holidays) - closedTuesday - Sunday open 1.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Admission
Adults £5.00
Concessions (Pensioners, students and the unwaged) £3.00
Children 16 and under

Keats House, Keats Grove, Hampstead, London, NW3 2RR
Tel: 020 7332 3868
Email keatshouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk

A blue plaque for George Crabbe in Hampstead?

Heath House is one of the most amazing houses in North West London. Great location, perspective, proportions, gating, settings - all over wow.

I have walked past and around on numerous occasions and thought how great it was and reflected on the shame that was the closed boarded up current state.

Now there is a planning application proposal progressing that will see the house restored to residential occupancy - which can only be good (assuming that all the plans respect the great architecture and listing features).

Some of us had dreamt that the house might have eneded up as the headquarters of the Hampstead Heath Managers (City of London Corporation), but it looks not to be the case now...

However, a new twist for me was the discovery that this was occupied by the Hoare family (Samuel and his daughter Sarah at least) who were cery close family friends , even confidentes, of George Crabb. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Crabbe

Crabbe is a serious player in the canon of romantic poetry and, it emerges, he stayed on a frequent basis at Heath House with the Hoare family writing his poetry and gathering inspiration from the heath and surroundings. I want to return to this but i think the stay here was significant and saw the writing of his very greatest works...

In the context of the links with Keats and Bloomfield I think there's a wider restoration of the poetic significance of Hampstead in the period 1800-1820.

A blue/Hampstead plaque for Crabbe on Heath House?