Kempton court, Vine street.†
Kennington, a village near Lambeth, in Surry, and one of the eight precincts of that parish. It has the honour of giving the title of Earl to the Duke of Cumberland.
Kennington Common, a small spot of ground, on the side of the road to Camberwell, and about a mile and a half from London. Upon this spot is the gallows for the county of Surry.
Kennington lane, Newington Butts.
Kensington Palace
S. Wale delin. B. Green sculp.
Kensington, a large and populous village in Middlesex, about two miles from Hyde Park Corner, part of which, from the palace gate to the Bell, is in the parish of St. Margaret’s, Westminster. The palace, which was the seat of the Lord Chancellor Finch, afterwards Earl of Nottingham, was purchased by King William, who greatly improved it, and caused a royal road to be made to it, through St. James’s and Hyde Parks, with lamp posts erected at equal distances on each side. Queen Mary enlarged the gardens; her sister Queen Anne improved what Mary had begun, and was so pleased with the place, that she frequently supped during the summer in the Green house, which is a very beautiful one: but her late excellent Majesty Queen Caroline completed the design, by extending the gardens from the great road in Kennington to Acton; by bringing what is called the Serpentine river into them, and by taking in some aires out of Hyde Park, on which she caused a mount to be raised, with a chair upon it, that could be easily turned round, so as to afford shelter from the wind. This mount is surrounded with a grove of ever-greens, and commands a fine view over the gardens to the south and west. In short these gardens, which are three miles and a half in compass, are kept in great order, and in summer-time, when the court is not there, are resorted to by great numbers of people. The palace indeed has none of that grandeur, which ought to appear in the residence of a British Monarch; its nearness to the town makes it very convenient, but it is very irregular in point of architecture. However the royal apartments are grand, and some of the pictures are good.
On passing the base court, you enter through a large portico into a stone gallery, that leads to the great stair case, which is a very fine one, and consists of several flights of black marble steps, adorned with iron balusters finely wrought. The painting here affords the view of several balconies with groups of figures representing yeomen of the guard, and spectators, among whom are drawn Mr. Ulrick, commonly called the young Turk, in the Polonese dress in which he waited on his late Majesty King George I. Peter, the wild youth, &c. The stair case is richly decorated and painted by Mr. Kent.
The first room is hung with very fine tapestry, representing the goddess Diana, hunting and killing the wild boar. Over the chimney is a picture in a grand taste, representing one of the Graces in the character of Painting, receiving instructions from Cupid. This piece is said to be done by Guido Reni. In one corner of the room is a marble statue of Venus, with an apple in her hand; and in another is the statue of Bacchus, whose head is finely executed; but the body, which is inferior to it, seems to be done by another hand.
The second room has its ceiling painted with Minerva, surrounded by the arts and sciences, by Mr. Kent. Over the chimney is a very fine piece representing Cupid admiring Psyche, while she is asleep, by Vandyck. On each side of the room are hung several pictures, as King Henry VIII. and the Comptroller of his houshold, by Holbein: a three quarter picture of King Charles I. and another of his Queen, by Vandyck: the Duke and Duchess of York, by Sir Peter Lely: as also King William and Queen Mary, when Prince and Princess of Orange, over the doors, by the same hand.