Rochester and Restoration House
Thu 3 Apr 2025 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM BST
Restoration House, ME1 1RF
Description
Enjoy a day in Rochester with a guided city tour and tours of Restoration House and the Cathedral.
Discover Grade I Restoration House, a fine example of an Elizabethan mansion, named after the visit of Charles II on the eve of his restoration. The house was originally two medieval buildings (1454 and 1502–22) with a space between. They were joined in 1640–1660 by inserting a third building between the two, to create a larger house. The first owner of the completed house was Henry Clerke, a lawyer and Rochester MP. Clerke oversaw further works in 1670 including the refacing of the entrance façade and the Great Staircase and other internal work. Over the past decade, the current owners who will host our tour, have uncovered decoration schemes from the mid-17th century which reveal the fashionable taste of the period, much influenced by the fashions on the continent. Restoration House is also the Satis House of Dickens’ “Great Expectations”, the home of Miss Havisham.
Restoration House
After lunch, explore Rochester with a guided city tour that will uncover centuries of history and heritage in a place cherished by Charles Dickens. We will learn about the Castle, the Six Poor Travellers House and Eastgate House, a Grade I house that featured in Dickens’ novels. Our tour will end at Rochester Cathedral where we will enjoy a guided tour of this magnificent building that dates back to the work of the French monk Bishop Gundulf in 1083. It is England’s second oldest cathedral, was founded by Bishop Justus and has glorious Norman architecture including the nave, parts of the crypt and one of the finest Romanesque façades in England. The Cathedral is blessed with some fine examples of later Gothic styles as well as the magnificent 14th century Chapter Library door.
Tickets £70 including a two-course lunch with tea or coffee at the Don Vincenzo Italian Restaurant. Lunch options to be made available to attendees in March 2025.
Rochester Cathedral image © Raggatt2000, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Location
Restoration House, ME1 1RF