As part of our topic on The Georgians, 5J visited Kenwood House in Highgate.

We had an amazing (but extremely cold) day learning about the house…

First we took to the hills to take in the spectacular view across London. We found out that in Georgian times it would have taken 4 hours to reach the centre of London from Kenwood by horse and carriage! This explains why house was originally built as a holiday home for its first owners, the Mansfields, not just as their home. We then used orienteering skills and compasses to navigate our way around the estate, looking at various landmarks (and getting knee-deep in mud!) as we went.

After a well-earned and gloriously warm rest for lunch inside the house, we were given a tour of Kenwood’s interior by an expert guide named Keith. He told us all about the history of the house, its previous owners and the uses of rooms. Did you think ‘dressing rooms’ were where people got dressed? So did we! But, in fact, it was where the lord or lady of the house would address their guests – what we might call an office today. We were completely blown away by the amazing library, which showcased lots of the classic features of Georgian design we’ve been learning about. Can you spot any in the photos?