Fenton House is a 17th-century merchant's house in Hampstead in North

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

which belongs to the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

, bequeathed to them in 1952 by Lady Binning, its last owner and resident. It is a detached house with a walled garden, which is large by London standards, and features a sunken garden, an

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

and a

kitchen garden The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager (from the French ) or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for grow ...

Features

The interior houses the Benton Fletcher collection of early keyboard instruments, some of which are often played for visitors during operational hours, and collections of paintings (including the collection of

Peter Barkworth Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...

and loans of Sir William Nicholson paintings), Meissen, English and Chinese

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...

, 17th-century needlework pictures and Georgian furniture. It also has fine portraits of King

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

(when

Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...

) and his mistress

Dorothea Jordan Dorothea Jordan, née Bland (21 November 17615 July 1816), was an Anglo-Irish actress, as well as a courtesan. She was the long-time mistress of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, later William IV, and the mother of ten illegitimate children by ...

, as well as portraits of two of their illegitimate sons, Frederick FitzClarence and Adolphus FitzClarence, and one of William IV's brother

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

. The brick mansion, with 1693 inscribed on its chimney breast which is consistent with the date of its core and most of its walls, has a 300-year-old orchard, where around 30 varieties of apple trees flourish. ;19th century remodelling by a Riga merchant Philip Fenton, a Riga merchant, bought the house in 1793 and in the 19th century ordered much of the remodelling. This comprised alterations to the interiors and roof, the addition of an ornate portico and the pediment, new window frames and glazing. The sides of the building feature balustraded flat areas (parapets) above the standard decorative ledge ( cornice) which date from the 18th century. The building has original staircases with twisted balusters. Main rooms have original panelling, corner cupboards and decoratively carved marble fireplaces. ;Small west projection It has a west extension adding no more than 5% to the building dating to about 1936, believed in the listing research of 1950 to have been commissioned by Lady Binning.

Gallery

Fenton House, formal garden - geograph.org.uk - 1271939.jpg Fenton House, Hampstead - geograph.org.uk - 1271918.jpg Statue in the garden of Fenton House, Hampstead - geograph.org.uk - 1483666.jpg Fenton House Lawn.JPG

References

;Notes ;References

External links

*
Wikidata List of Paintings on view at Fenton House
{{authority control Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden Grade I listed houses in London Grade I listed museum buildings Historic house museums in London Houses completed in the 17th century Houses in Hampstead Museums in the London Borough of Camden Music museums in London Musical instrument museums in England National Trust properties in London Orchards