Beautiful Burgh House Hampstead London NW3

While exploring the area, I looked around Burgh House, Hampstead, London NW3. It’s a beautiful Grade I listed Queen Anne Mansion built in 1704, a short walk from Hampstead Station. Previously it was a private residence (Rudyard Kipling’s daughter being one), an officers’ mess and a community centre until it fell into disrepair. A group of residents saved the House, now an independent, self-funding charity, arts and events space (Yoga, Qigong, Talks, etc.). It’s also an accredited museum with a collection of 5000 objects relating to Burgh House, the local area and its residents. With free entry and an excellent Café with garden seating, you should put it on your list of free things to do in Hampstead. Join me on a tour of this splendid House and see what I ate for lunch in the Buttery Café.

Burgh House Hampstead Tour

If you’re walking from Hampstead Station via Flask Walk, you get the full effect of a picturesque Hampstead village with cobbled streets and pretty surroundings. Burgh House is stunning; it’s situated on a hill, so you can see how grand it looks on your approach. Enter through the gate, and you’ll discover a delightful private courtyard where you can eat delicious food from the Buttery Café.

A bit further along, you reach the black front door, surrounded by blooming Wisteria in the summer. Enter the House and begin your tour of the ground floor.

The romantic Music Room features wood-panelled walls and a marble fireplace. The room can be hired for weddings and events.

Also on the ground floor is the Library, previously the Drawing Room, a place to entertain guests or relax. It’s a comfortable room with a bookcase and white fireplace from the 1720s. Paintings from the Burgh House collection are on display, including a portrait of Kitty Grylls, one of the children born in Burgh House.

In the Gallery, you can see an exhibition celebrating the work of artist siblings Sydney, Hilda and Richard Carline (and one commission by Josie and Madeline Hunter’s granddaughters of Richard). They lived and worked in Hampstead; their family home was 47 Downshire Hill. A modern annexe, Peggy Hay Gallery, is at the back of Burgh House, where you will find further exhibitions.

Venture upstairs to the first floor, and there’s the Christopher Wade Room, Heath Room, Well’s Room, and a large landing area. Displays showcasing Hampstead’s development, including Hill Bookshop Penguin, Modernist Isokon Furniture, Original and Works by Helen Allingham (Victorian Watercolour Painter), and 20th Century Paintings. You can also view many of the objects and art online.

Burgh House Buttery Cafe

I recommend you stop for a bite to eat at the Buttery Café. They serve Eggs Florentine, Benedict and Royale, and other options for breakfast. For lunch, it’s Toasted Sandwiches, Plates or Bowls. I thoroughly enjoyed my Goats Cheese and Leek Tart with New Potatoes and Salad.

Try the Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream or one of the Cakes for a treat. Either dine inside the café or take your food to the private courtyard.

Helpful Information About Burgh House Hampstead

For more information, visit the Burgh House website and the Burgh House Wikipedia page. The address is New End Square, Hampstead, London NW3 1LT, five minutes from Hampstead Station. The Café is open Wednesday to Friday from 10 am until 5 pm and from 9.30 am until 5.30 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. House opening times are Wednesday to Sunday, and Bank Holidays are from 10 am until 4 pm. They sell a few gifts at the entrance, and you’ll see booklets and information about forthcoming events.