Hidden in the shadow of the City of London, only a stone’s throw from the towering office blocks that surround Liverpool Street station, lies 18 Folgate Street. From 1979 until his death in 1999, this was the home of the artist Dennis Severs, and now, thanks to him, it is one of the city’s best-preserved Huguenot houses.
An American, Severs was nonetheless passionate about preserving London’s history. Using the house as his canvas, he transformed each room into a multi-sensory time warp — a ‘living museum’.
The house charts the history of the fictional Jervis family, who were silk weavers. Flitting from 1724 to 1914, each of the ten rooms creates its own mood: wander around (visitors are free to explore the house at their leisure, but silence is compulsory) and observe the debris of a party, feel the warmth of real log fires and smell a feast being prepared in the kitchen. Listen hard enough and you can actually hear whispered secrets and the rustle of silk skirts. The Denis Severs experience is as much about what you don't see as what you do — and the ghosts of the inhabitants seem eerily close.
The beauty here is in the detail: every inch has been curated to provoke the senses and engage your imagination. Try to picture the scene or just enjoy the richly decorated space and peaceful ambience of a bygone era.
On Monday evenings you can take a tour by candlelight (£12) and watch the house brought to life by flames and shadows — it sets the tone perfectly. And, if you really can’t bear to leave, be advised that it’s possible to hire the house for private events, too.
Dennis Severs’ House, 18 Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London E1 6BX (+ 44 20-7247 4013; dennissevershouse.co.uk)
Opening times: ‘Silent Night’ (the candle-lit tour) is held every Monday evening (except bank holidays). Times vary with the seasons (£12 per person; booking required). Day tours are also available on the first and third Sunday of each month between 2 and 5pm (£8 per person; no booking required) and between 12 and 2pm on the Monday following the first and third Sunday (£5; no booking required).
