For decades, English Heritage has looked after the neoclassical mansion peering over Hampstead Heath, which has long been a favourite for dog-walkers, families and others.
To help raise the millions it needs to maintain the house and parkland, the charity has tried to attract more visitors with cultural festivals, small concerts and family-oriented light trails.
But some argue the latest ‘Halloween at Kenwood’ event starting today (October 17) is a step too far.
Caged skeletons strung from lampposts at Kenwood House. Credit: Josef Steen / LDRS(Image: )
“I’m very concerned about the extremely gruesome things they’ve got hanging on the lampposts,” said Maggie Roberts, who comes to the Heath most days. She was particularly struck by the “ghoulish and revolting” caged skeletons strung up around the garden path, one of many macabre decorations put up for the upcoming trail.
“I’m sure they can find a nicer way of generating revenue that won’t cost families £66 [for two adults and two children], destroy the landscape, and traumatise the children,” Ms Roberts told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
Others were less disturbed by the décor. The LDRS spoke to Joe Laskowski beside a makeshift graveyard, where green neon lights snake up trees and fake corpses pop out of open coffins.
Joe, who visits Kenwood from his home in East Finchley about once a month, said he understood Halloween was a “craze”.
“It’s not for me, but I’ve got nothing against people enjoying themselves,” he said.
But Robert Prevezer, who brings his dog here daily, said the props were “in bad taste” and was particularly frustrated by the event taking over the estate car park.
“Coffins, skeletons and headstones scattered around Kenwood House are the antithesis of everything that Kenwood represents – elegance and beauty,” he told the LDRS. He added that English Heritage would in fact lose revenue from parking charges and footfall would drop.
“It’s self-defeating, outrageous and utterly stupid,” he said.
West Hampstead resident Lucie Walsh also comes to Kenwood “most days” with her parents.
“It feels like there’s a bit of a construction site in part of Kenwood now,” she said, adding that the regular disruption had particularly affected her father, who has recently become a wheelchair user.
“It’s a long process to get a Blue Badge, and we can’t even use the car park for a quarter of the year. Even though we’ve got a membership which promises us free parking, my mum now drops him off while she looks for a space. He’s emailed English Heritage about this, and they’ve replied saying that it makes them a lot of money. So why are we paying?”
Other heath-goers were firmly behind the charity’s efforts to make more money. “It’s fantastic what they’re doing,” said Daisy Leigh, sporting a Hampstead Heath jumper. “The Lord helps those who help themselves, and they need funding.”
Ms Leigh was walking her dog alongside her friend, who wished to remain anonymous but added her grandchildren were “beside themselves” when they heard about the upcoming ‘Neverland’ Peter Pan-themed light trail set to run at Kenwood from late November until January.
“It’s dark, it’s pretty, it’s lit up and all the family are together. Yes, it’s a bit disruptive, but if you live near here, it’s a joy,” she said, though adding that it was “not cheap”.
English Heritage has been challenged over hosting large-scale events in the past, and put an end to big concerts in 2022. At the time, English Heritage said it needed £3 million every year to maintain the manor and its 112 acres of parkland. Live music and cultural events have since continued, such as the FT Weekender and HowTheLightGetsIn.
READ MORE:
The charity told the LDRS the upcoming Halloween event, run by RG.LIVE, was designed to be family-friendly but not entirely scare-free. They added that Blue Badge parking will be open throughout the trail.
Kenwood manager Simon Cranmer said: “We appreciate that closing the car park over three months is frustrating but our decision was motivated by what was best for the Kenwood landscape,” he said, explaining that infrastructure had to be placed in the car park so that land used for the summer’s festivals could recover.
Mr Cranmer added that the events were “vital” for attracting thousands of visitors and generating income to maintain the house and landscape.
General admission for Halloween at Kenwood starts at £15 for children aged 3-16, and £20 for adults.
