The Keats House in London has a great claim to fame - under the plum tree in its garden, Keats composed the beautiful Ode to a Nightingale. He lived here during his most creative time as a poet, sharing rooms with Charles Brown for two years. The house contains original manuscripts and books, some related to Fanny Brawne, his neighbor and fiancée.
Built around 1810, the house has changed quite a bit since Keats's time. When he lived there, it was part of a semi-detached house called Wentworth Place. Its exterior remains relatively unchanged but the inside was altered by several tenants. Most notably, it was converted into a single house and suffered some damage during the Blitz. It opened as a museum in 1925.
The house is located on a quiet street now called Keats Grove. Take the Hampstead or Belsize Park tube and be prepared to walk. The neighborhood is now one of London's nicest and the walk from the tube station to the house is beautiful. There are numerous shops and restaurants along the way.
The house is open daily from noon to 5 pm, except for holidays, and the admittance charge is £3 for adults; children under 16 enter for free. There is no charge to enter the garden. (From November through March, the house is open from noon to 4 pm.)
The telephone number is 020 7435 2062. I strongly urge every potential visitor to call ahead. The museum sometimes closes with no warning.
The Keats House was closed recently for extensive repairs, but
should be open as of spring 2003. I'll take my digital camera
over on the next visit (if I've figured out how to use it) and post the pictures here.
page updated 25 June 2003