Now in the care of the National Trust, 24 Cheyne Row in Chelsea is the beautifully preserved house…read morelived in by the writer, historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle and his wife Jane. Opened to the public in 1896, it was London's first literary 'shrine'.
History
The house itself was built in 1708 in the reign of Queen Anne, in the then largely rural suburb of Chelsea. It was rented to a series of tenants, but was became famous as the home of Thomas Carlyle and his wife Jane when they moved from Scotland to London in 1834 to further Carlyle's career.
Thanks to the efforts of his wife Jane, who worked tirelessly to promote her husband's career, the house became the centre of a glittering literary circle, which included Dickens, Tennyson and Ruskin. Despite this, the marriage was not a happy one, (and rumoured to have been unconsummated) with both suffering ill health.
After Carlyle died in 1881, the house was largely stripped of its furnishings, rented to another tenant (the Carlyles never purchased it) and fell into neglect. However, admirers of the writer established the Carlyle's House Memorial Trust to purchase and maintain it through public subscription. It was transferred to the National Trust in 1934.
Since then, the Trust has continued the work of restoring the house to its appearance during the Carlyles' extensive tenure.
The House
The location is lovely: a quiet, leafy little street just off the Embankment and only minutes from the King's Road, but feels a world away from either.
The house itself is surprisingly atmospheric, with much of the original early 18th century wooden panelling in place (which Jane hated), narrow corridors and staircases, and the garden is a small but tranquil haven.
The rooms include the original kitchen, dining room, drawing room, bedroom and Carlyle's intriguing soundproofed garret study: he hated noise, and his wife's correspondence testifies to constant disturbance by noisy neighbours. The garden - where Carlyle spent many evenings smoking his pipe - has also been restored to it mid-19th century appearance.
Many of the original furnishings have been returned to the house, alongside extensive memorabilia. The rooms are presented largely as they were during the Carlyles' tenure: both the interiors and the garden were exceptionally well documented through paintings, photographs and their correspondence.
Practicalities
The house is a five minute walk from the King's Road with its extensive bus services: the nearest tubes are South Kensington and Sloane Square, both about a mile away. Car parking is limited to a small number metered bays (often full).
The house is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. It has 4 steps to the main entrance, and even then is fairly cramped. There are more narrow stairs to the basement kitchen and shop and to the three upper floors.
There is a single toilet (located in the garden) and a small shop selling postcards and books.
The staff are very helpful, but be warned that you will asked to leave bags etc in their office during your tour. being a relatively small venue, it is best appreciated at quiet periods (eg during week days).
