London is one of the oldest cities in the world. So it’s no surprise that every winding alley, quirky street name or hidden passageway has a remarkable story to tell. Did you know, for example, that there is a chunk of Roman wall next to Tower Hill Tube station? Or that Lincoln’s Inn Fields was once a grisly execution site? Or that 10 Downing Street was a location for cock fighting?
Some of the best ways to dive into this past are by going behind closed doors and entering the private homes of historic figures. These are the rooms where George Frideric Handel slept and walked, where Charles Dickens ate his breakfast, where Jimi Hendrix chatted with friends. There are plenty of houses to discover across London, but these five are a good place to start.
Charles Dickens Museum
48 Doughty Street in Bloomsbury was once the home of Charles Dickens. Though he only lived here for two years (1837-39) he was inspired to write some of his greatest works, including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby.
Today, the house is a charming museum, with many mementos from Dickens’s life and writings. A highlight is the desk where he wrote Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities (originally located in his home in Kent). In the basement — the working quarters — is the washhouse copper. Usually used for washing clothes, this basin was cleaned out every December and used to boil the Christmas pudding. Dickens wrote of this in A Christmas Carol: “The two young Cratchits hustled Tiny Tim, and bore him off into the washhouse, that he might hear the pudding singing in the copper.”
How thrilling to imagine the possibility of Dickens’s inspiration. Did he see the Christmas pudding in the washhouse copper at 48 Doughty Street, only to hurry upstairs to his writing desk and pen those famous lines?
Open Wed to Sun, 10am-5pm. Adults £12.50; dickensmuseum.com
Ham House
Nestled on the banks of the River Thames in Richmond is Ham House. So gorgeously opulent, visiting Ham is like walking through a jewelled treasure chest.
Here are staircases carved with trophies of arms, Japanese cabinets inlaid with mother of pearl, miniature portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and walls decorated with gilt leather and hung with tapestries. It’s no surprise that it has caught the eye of Hollywood directors over the years, featuring as a filming location in Anna Karenina, The Young Victoria and Victoria & Abdul.
But it’s also got a remarkable history of its own. During the Interregnum (1649-1660) this was the home of Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale.
A cunning royalist, the duchess embarked on an audacious act of deception. To the outside world, she appeared compliant with the new regime, and befriended Oliver Cromwell. But behind Ham’s closed doors, the truth couldn’t be more different. Maitland secretly plotted to restore the monarchy.
How strange it is to walk these grand rooms and imagine her here, writing out treasonous letters by candlelight. One of the highlights to see is her strong box, with its endless concealed compartments and secret drawers, inside which the duchess hid those letters that put her life on the line.
Open Mon-Sun, check opening times. Adults £15; nationaltrust.org.uk
Handel Hendrix Museum
History is full of strange twists and turns, and the story of Brook Street in Mayfair is no exception. This was the home of two musical legends two centuries apart: the German-British Baroque composer George Frideric Handel, and the American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix.
Handel lived in the townhouse at 25 Brook Street from 1723 until he died in bed, aged 74, in 1759. Over those 36 years, he wrote some of his best known work, including Zadok the Priest and Messiah.
Upstairs, in the little flat at 23 Brook Street, is where Hendrix lived in the late Sixties. Like Handel, he used the flat as his base, giving interviews, entertaining friends, writing songs and preparing for concerts. A must-visit for any music enthusiast.
Open Wed-Sun, 10am-5pm. Adults £14; handelhendrix.org
Spencer House
Prepare to be dazzled. Overlooking St James’s Park is a party house like no other. This was the London home of the Spencer family, whose most famous member was Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (portrayed by Keira Knightley in The Duchess).
The interiors are sumptuous, with side tables of Siena marble, ceilings inspired by royal palaces, plaster casts of ancient statues and grand scagliola columns. One visitor wrote in 1772:
“I know not a more beautiful piece of architecture… All in richness, elegance, and taste, superior to any house I have seen.”
Over the years, Spencer House has played host to some VIP names. Queen Victoria enjoyed a “grand dinner” here in 1857, with food “served on gold plate”. In 1992, a luncheon was attended by the late Queen, alongside her then living prime ministers (who included John Major, Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher). A tricky table plan, no doubt.
Guided tours available, check website. £18.50; spencerhouse.co.uk
Dr Johnson’s House
Tucked behind Fleet Street, in a maze of courts and alleys, is a fine Georgian townhouse. This was the home of Samuel Johnson, the eccentric writer and lexicographer (a term he defined as “a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge”).
Johnson lived and worked here from 1748 to 1759, alongside his wife, Elizabeth “Tetty” Johnson, and their cat Hodge (look out for Hodge’s statue outside).
Johnson was a larger-than-life character — a London legend, if you will — who relished the delights of the capital. “When a man is tired of London,” he wrote, “he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” But he knew how to work hard, too. While in this house he completed the monumental task of compiling A Dictionary of the English Language — essentially, the first English dictionary.
Today, the house is full of charming details: wood panelling, coal holes and original door handles. The front door still has original anti-burglary devices in place — a heavy chain with corkscrew latch and spiked iron bar over the fanlight. After your visit, make sure to pop into the nearby Cheshire Cheese, Johnson’s tavern of choice.
Open Tues to Sat, 11am-5pm. Adults £9; drjohnsonhouse.org
