Kettle's Yard

Kettle’s Yard is an art gallery and house on the west side of Castle Street in Cambridge, between Northampton Street and St Peter’s Church. It began as the home of Jim and Helen Ede, who moved to Cambridge in 1956 and converted four cottages into one informal space. The Edes welcomed visitors each afternoon, especially students, for personal tours of their early 20th-century art collection. In 1966 the house and collection were given to the University of Cambridge, though the Edes stayed on until 1973. The house remains as they left it, with a relaxed atmosphere for enjoying the permanent collection and occasional live music. The permanent collection centres on works by the British avant-garde of the first half of the 20th century. It reflects Ede’s friendships and time as a curator at Tate Gallery, featuring paintings, sculptures and objects chosen for their associations. Notable artists include Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Ben Nicholson. Ian Hamilton Finlay once described Ede’s approach as ‘the Louvre of the pebble’ after seeing an inscribed stone. The collection also includes works by Constantin Brâncuși, Helen Frankenthaler and Alfred Wallis, among others. After a major building project completed in 2018, the house and gallery reopened with improved facilities while the interior stayed untouched. Visitors find a house preserved exactly as the Edes lived in it, with artworks arranged in intimate rooms. The 1970 extension added a modernist exhibition gallery designed by Leslie Martin. The 2018 expansion introduced a new courtyard, welcome area, shop and café, all designed by Jamie Fobert Architects. The house’s informal layout encourages close looking at the permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are held in the modern gallery spaces. The building is part of the University of Cambridge Museums consortium, linking it to other cultural sites in the city.