Dickens writing chalet placed on 'at risk' list

12 minutes ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

Charles Dickens' Swiss chalet in Rochester is now fragile and in need of repair

Medway Council A two-storey timber chalet painted ochre yellow and cream stands in the grounds of Eastgate House in Rochester. Decorative white wooden balconies, shutters and carved trim surround the building. Brick buildings stand on either side and an information board about the Dickens Chalet is visible in the foreground. — Charles Dickens' Swiss chalet in Rochester is now fragile and in need of repair

The chalet where Charles Dickens wrote some of his most famous works has been added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.

The Grade I-listed Swiss chalet in Rochester has become increasingly fragile and in need of repair, Historic England said, and its poor condition, with timber decay and structural instability, has prevented public access.

Dickens used the chalet to write novels including Our Mutual Friend, The Uncommercial Traveller, and his final, unfinished work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

This year, a £240,000 lottery grant was announced to restore the chalet and open it to the public. Funding also includes £40,000 from Medway council and £5,000 from the Dickens Fellowship.

Medway councillor Nina Gurung said the cash award announced in June was "pivotal" in starting work on the chalet.

She said the links between Dickens and Medway ran deep and the project would shine a light on the author's story.

Dickens used the chalet as a private retreat where he could work away from distractions and rehearse for his public appearances.

It originally stood in the grounds of his home at Gads Hill in Higham, but was moved to the grounds of Eastgate House in the 1960s.

Dickens used the chalet as a private retreat where he wrote and rehearsed

Getty Images A black-and-white portrait photograph showing a seated bearded man resting one side of the head on a hand. The image is tightly cropped around the upper body and face and has a plain dark background. — Dickens used the chalet as a private retreat where he wrote and rehearsed

In East Sussex, Hastings Castle has also been added to the register.

The castle stands on a strategic clifftop location, but its exposed setting and coastal erosion have shaped the ruins, with sections of wall now left vulnerable.

Hastings Borough Council has been given £288,500 from a Historic England fund for urgent conservation. It follows £200,000 investment by the council this year.

Hastings councillor Julia Hilton said the site played "a vital part in the story of our town and country", and it was crucial to secure it for future generations to enjoy.

Elsewhere in Kent, the Old Town Warehouse in Faversham has also been added to the register.

The Grade II*-listed timber-framed building dates from 1458 and sits alongside Faversham Creek, but is in poor condition from flooding, poor drainage and timber decay.

Claudia Kenyatta, chief executive of Historic England, told BBC Radio 4's Today: "The Heritage at Risk Register is a really important opportunity to draw attention to those historic buildings and places that are at risk of being lost as a result of decay or neglect or inappropriate development."

Kenyatta said the government recently put up £75m to support buildings and places on the register, but funding also comes from the National Lottery, Historic England, councils and local fundraising.

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