Here in Hampstead we are possessively proud of Keats – he only actually lived here for a relatively short time, had a miserable love affair with Fanny Brawne and failed to recover from tuberculosis – but, hey, he’s our poet, right? The bust of Keats in our church was given by Americans shocked to find no memorial to Keats in England. [He died in Rome and is buried there – tourists often don’t know this and argue that they’ve come here to see his grave.]
On 31st October we will be celebrating John Keats’ birthday in style with a programme of Music and Readings led by Virginia Dimitriou and featuring Richard Jenkinson – Cello, Benjamin Frith – Piano, Claire Prewer – Soprano.
Keats House is a thriving museum dedicated not only to the poetry of John Keats but also to poetry in general. We work closely with local community groups, museums, artists and schools, and run popular poetry and play reading groups. We run regular events and, assisted by our vibrant team of volunteers, bring the life and times of John Keats to contemporary Hampstead.
The interior of Keats House has been sensitively and painstakingly restored thanks to a Heritage Lottery Grant of £424,000. The culmination of four years of preparation and research work, the refurbishment sought to reflect the original decoration of the property, creating a living space that Keats would have recognised and providing an authentic example of Regency style.
In tandem with the refurbishment of the house, the garden has also been redesigned. A new hedge has been planted around the border of the garden and new fruit trees, plants and shrubs, all in keeping with the Regency period, have been put in place. Each border of the garden reflects an aspect of Keats’s poetry: Melancholy, Autumn and Nightingale. The garden is free to visit and a popular picnicking spot for local families during the summer.
John Keats lived here