We were out of the flat around 9am and walked up to the Green Park underground to make our way up to Hampstead just north of London. Our train arrived and things went a little, not as planned! I got obstructed getting on the train and the doors closed before I could get on, Deb was already on board. I waved good bye as she sped away. I hopped on the next train, only a minute or two after Deb’s train left, hoping she was waiting for me at Euston Station.
I got to Euston and she was waiting for me on the platform, like something out of a movie really. 😀
We then hopped on a Northern Line train and got off at Belsize Park Underground Station. That’s where Google maps directed us. We should have got off at Hampstead, London’s deepest tube station(58.5m below ground). Instead we had about a mile walk, mostly uphill!
We arrived at Fenton House pretty well on schedule, a little after 10am.
Unfortunately Fenton House didn’t open until 11am. We found a comfortable wooden bench and took a little time out while we waited for 11am. The crowd began building at around 10:15am, by 11am there must have been at least 10 people waiting to get in. While we waited I took the opportunity to try and find our tickets. Deb had made the booking a week ago, but the link on the email she sent me and had herself didn’t bring our tickets up. A deepish search of my email revealed the email with our tickets, we were relieved. It turns out, that getting in they scanned your ticket and ticked your name off a list. When they asked Deb her name she told them, they hesitated and asked again, we all had a chuckle and we were let in.
Fenton House was built in the 17th century of Georgian architecture, was originally named Ostend House, and is a Grade 1 listed building that was bequeathed to The National Trust in 1952 by Lady Binning. In 1793, the house was purchased by Philip Fenton, a merchant and slave owner, who renamed it “Fenton House”. There is a painting of James Fenton, a furrier, who inherited the house in 1807 and resided there with his wife and 8 children at the start of the 19th century. 
He made some significant changes to the house, including a new entrance, Regency detailing and a classical colonnade to the exterior of the house.
The house is now a museum with its main collections being porcelain, fine needlework and harpsichord. All from collections held by various residents of the house. The harpsichord collection was donated with a condition that they were maintained and played regularly/daily.
True to their word The National Trust have harpsichord players in the house everyday, and the music is very interesting. We stood by one musician as he explained various aspects of playing and construction of harpsichord. It was all very interesting, the harpsichord he was playing had condor quills within its mechanism. Who would have ever thought that!
There was also a painting by Constable hanging in the house, not one of his greatest or biggest works, but it was one of his.
We then went out and had a look through the gardens. They are still in the original design format. With a mix of formal gardens, an orchard and a vegetable garden. 
Deb had an enjoyable time out in her happy place and a phone full of photos. They were interesting gardens and very well maintained.
We left Fenton House around midday and walked down through Hampstead Heath to Kenwood House, another National Trust House. 
The walk through the heath was very relaxing. There were lots of people out walking their dogs, and the dogs were all having a great time.
We had lunch at the cafe at Kenwood House and then went in for a look around. The UK needs every grand old house they can get to allow them to hang all the historical works of art in the country!! The works all seem to cover the period from Medieval times to the early 20th century. So many paintings of people in frilly collars! Hidden in amongst the collection at Kenwood House was a Vermeer and a Rembrandt. Funnily enough, they were the two paintings in a room that I was drawn to before I knew who they were by.
After we left the house we walked to Kenwood Viewpoint to have a look at the view over London city. 
It was a very good view, the city poking itself above the tree line. There is a view descriptor plaque at the viewpoint dated 2016, much of the cityscape has changed in the years since.
We then got a bus to Golders Green and a tube to Euston and another to Green Park. We did a little shopping for our day at Lords tomorrow and then went back to the flat to put our feet up. Another good day.
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