Handel and Hendrix House’s in London

Two musicians in one street

Whilst I’ve been walking the streets of London I keep finding new and exciting hidden gems to explore. Here we visited Handel and Hendrix House’s in London.

Situated in Brook Street Mayfair and Separated by one wall and 200 years are the homes of two of the greatest musicians who lived in London.

What are the chances of two great musicians living in the same area next door to each other so many years apart?

When I  heard that they were going to open Jimi  Hendrixs old flat I had to visit. As a true icon of his time and a major influence of the rock world this was not to be missed.

Handel’s home in Brook street London

You start by touring around the house of George Frideric Handel the german and later british composer. Over two floors of the flat no 25 you will see restored rooms where Handel would have rehearsed and given recitals.

Handel moved into his house in Brook Street in 1723. He was the first occupant of the house, which formed part of a four-building residential development by the speculative builder George Barnes. In 1742 his annual rent for Brook Street was a mere £50.

Brook Street at this time was a good, upper-middle class area. Close to St James’s Palace, where he performed his official duties and the  King’s Theatre in the Haymarket which was the focus of his Italian opera career at this time.

Shortly after arriving you are transported back in time with lots of fun opportunities at Handel and Hendrix House’s in London including a dressing up box. We simply could not miss this opportunity of trying it out.

The home of Jimi Hendrix

Next up you will visit the flat of Jimi Hendrix no 23 Brook street. Which is where Jimi lived in 1968. The area at this time was the place to be, with a record shop across the road and Soho just a stones throw away meaning Jimi Hendrix was in the heart of the London’s music scene.

You will see posters artefacts and plenty of information on the life of Hendrix and his time spent in London. You can also listen to his music on headphones and see one of his actual guitars.

But the most amazing part has to be his bedroom which has been painstaking been put back together to resemble how it was when he lived there in 1968.

A grand and restoration process from memory and old photos

His girlfriend at the time Kathy Etchingham was invited back to restore his room to the best of her memory. Jimi purchased most of his furnishing’s at the nearby John Lewis department store.

There was something about standing in Jimi Hendrix’s bedroom and imagining all the parties that would of gone on in such a small space.

The flat has only been open to the public since February 2016 so its a very interesting place to visit.

You are  not allowed to touch anything in the flat you are however allowed to walk around and sit in his chair. The photographs on the wall show Jimi sitting in the exact same spot!

We spent quite some time in the bedroom just silly taking it all in. It was hard to believe that one of the greatest musicians of all times career only spanned 4 years. Coming to such an abrupt end makes it very sad.

If you would like to visit Handel and Hendrix House’s in London, it costs just £10.

It is free for Handels house and just £5 for Hendrix house if you are an art pass card holder.

Handel and Hendrix House’s in London is open 7 days a week and often has other events on as well.

For more artist homes in London Take a look at the house of Charles Dickens here.

Its definitely worth a trip back in time, and London  has so much to offer.

D x

Pin for later