English Heritage

18th CenturySuccessive Owners

Kenwood passes through many owners before being bought by John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute.

1746Garden Additions

Bute adds the orangery to the west of the south front and introduces new plant species to the grounds.

1754Country Retreat

William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, buys Kenwood for £4,000. He uses it as a weekend retreat.

1764Adam's House

Adam adds a new entrance and attic-storey bedrooms. He also modernises existing interiors including the library, one of his finest interiors.

Read a description of Kenwood

1766Larger Family Home

Murray commissions Robert Adam and his brother James to remodel the house to make room for more family members.

1793Creation of the Landscape

Murray's nephew David, 2nd Earl of Mansfield, expands the house with two brick wings, and enhances the grounds with the help of Humphry Repton.

1815Home Improvements

Another David Murray appoints architect William Atkinson to add second-floor service-wing rooms. Atkinson also installs additional bookcases in the library.

1909-20Important Tenants

Kenwood is leased to wealthy tenants, including Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich and American millionairess Nancy Leeds.

1922Contents Sold

Alan David Murray, 6th Earl of Mansfield, sells the contents of the house, including some of the original furnishings.

1925-9Iveagh Bequest

Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, buys the house to display highlights from his collection of paintings. After this death, the Iveagh Bequest Act requires Kenwood to be opened freely to the public.

See highlights from the collections at Kenwood

1939-49Second World War

Kenwood houses servicemen during the Second World War. After the war it is handed over to London County Council.

1986-PresentConservation Project

English Heritage takes over and carries out repairs and conservations part-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Kenwood is reopened to the public in 2013.

Learn more about Kenwood