Keats House






Keats House is where the poet John Keats (1795-1821) lived from 1818 to 1820. Here he wrote some of his best known poetry, including "Ode to a Nightingale". The house is a Grade 1 listed building set in a peaceful garden in Hampstead. It has been open to the public since 1925.
Venue Type:
Historic house or home, Garden, parklands or rural site, Museum
Additional info
Study facilities are available at London Metropolitan Archives.
The Keats House Collection consists of books, manuscripts, letters, prints, paintings and artefacts relating to the life of the poet John Keats (1795-1821), his circle and the English Romantic movement. The Keats House Collection, including the Keats Memorial Library, is currently available for consultation by appointment only. Please contact us for further information.
Collection details
Archives, Literature, Personalities
Key artists and exhibits
- John Keats
- Joseph Severn

Keats and Milton: Paradise Lost
- 6 December 2017 — 14 October 2018 *on now
John Keats considered John Milton to be one of the greatest writers of all time. To celebrate the 350th anniversary of Paradise Lost, Keats’s personal copy of Milton’s epic poem is the centrepiece of a new exhibition. Find out what this heavily-annotated volume can tell us about Keats’s views on creativity and composition, and discover how one visionary poet read and built upon the work of another.
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Entry included with Keats House admission (Adults £6.50, Seniors £5.50, Concessions £4.50, Children 17 yrs and under Free)
Website
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/keats-house/Pages/Exhibitions.aspx
Late Night Keats: A Thing of Beauty
- 18 May 2018 7-9pm
Join us to celebrate the bicentenary of the publication of Keats’s Endymion, which opens with the line: ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’. Learn more about Keats’s life 200 years ago in 1818 with a special guided tour, a short talk on Keats’s poetry, a craft workshop, and pop-up poetry sessions. You can also relax with a drink from our bar and enjoy live music.
Suitable for
- 18+
- Not suitable for children
Admission
£15
Website
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/late-night-keats-a-thing-of-beauty-tickets-45017677084
Big Draw
Art activities using images and documents as inspiration. The visual work would be a way in to the story of slavery and abolition and would involve group work as well as individual activities
How to obtain
Available throughout October 2007. Contact Keats House for furhter details
Expressions of Identity – creative writing events
Exploring personal and community identity through the stories of people from the past and the present.
How to obtain
Available throughout October 2007 and on request
My Local Area - The Peopling of London
Linked to our local history walks identifying buildings and places with links to slavery and anti-slavery, this session explores the impact of the slave trade on local areas
How to obtain
Available June 2007 and on request. Contact Keats House for more information.
Romanticism, Politics and Protest
Understanding Romanticism as a means of political protest through the works of writers and thinkers of the day. Keats and Leigh Hunt provide a starting point and includes Equiano, Sterne, William Cuffay and William Davidson
How to obtain
Available throughout June 2007 and on request. Contact Keats House for further details.
The Road to Abolition – Gifted and Talented Summer College
An exploration of the anti slavery campaigns and the tradition / legacy of protest and reform
How to obtain
Available throughout July 2007. Contact Keats House for further details
Getting there
By Tube (Northern Line, Edgware branch):
Hampstead tube to Keats House – 750m or just under half a mile (mostly downhill)
Belsize Park tube to Keats House – 750m or just under half a mile (up and downhill)
By London Overground:
Hampstead Heath train station – approximately 100m
By Bus:
Buses 24, 46, 168 and C11 all go to South End Green, next to Hampstead Heath Station; Bus 268 goes to the Rosslyn Hill junction with Downshire Hill
Keats House
Keats Grove
Hampstead
London
Greater London
NW3 2RR
England

Website
keatshouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Telephone
020 7332 3868
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