Keats House

A stone's throw from the lower reaches of the heath, this elegant Regency house was home to the golden boy of the Romantic poets from 1818 to 1820. Keats wrote his most celebrated poem, Ode to a Nightingale, whilst sitting under a plum tree (now replaced) in the garden in 1819. The staff tell you stories about Keats and the house as you wander round.

Never short of generous mates, Keats was persuaded to take refuge here by Charles Armitage Brown, and it was here that he met his fiancée, Fanny Brawne, who was literally the girl next door.

Unfortunately, the most valuable mementos - including original manuscripts and love letters - are in need of careful conservation and are no longer on display. That said there is still plenty to see and the house is dripping with atmosphere thanks in part to the collection of Regency furniture amassed here in recent years.

You can examine the ring he gave Fanny (which she wore for the rest of her life) or the bust of Keats which is set at the poet's exact height: barely 5ft 1in (about 153cm)!

American visitors might like to know that the house was saved and opened to the public largely due to the donations of Keats' fans in the US. Staff are playing a kind of US state bingo and need visitors from only two more states to have the full set (so if you're a yank be sure to let them know where you're from).

Call ahead before you visit, as the house needs to be closed periodically for ongoing repairs.