Charles Dickens is the man who invented Christmas, so what better time than Christmas to visit the Charles Dickens museum?
“A Christmas Carol” was published in 1843, and one could say that Christmas would never be the same again. OK, slight exaggeration maybe, but who hasn’t heard of Ebezener Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the 3 ghosts of Christmas?
Of course, the Charles Dickens Museum is open year-round, but at Christmastime, the museum adds special Christmas touches to its displays and put on special activities.
At a glance...
Christmas décor at the Charles Dickens museum
In the dining room, the table is set for family and guests in pretty blue and white china. The turkey is already on the table. The Christmas pudding with its pretty red bow will be eaten afterwards, as will the mince pies on the sideboard.
Upstairs, in the drawing room, there’s port, biscuits and apples, and a tall Christmas tree.
Downstairs in the kitchen, another Christmas table is set, that one much more humble, with rough pies and a plain tablecloth.
Everywhere, there’s holly, and twinkling lights, to add to the festive atmosphere.
Charles Dickens in London
Charles Dickens lived at the Doughty Street address for two years, from 1837 to 1839, at the beginning of his career. Here he wrote The Pickwick Papers, his first novel, which was published in 1837, Oliver Twist, and Nicholas Nickleby.
After Doughty Street, Dickens lived at No 1 Devonshire Terrace near Regent’s Park, then – back to Bloomsbury – at Tavistock House (in Tavistock Square). Both sites have since been demolished. His last home was in Gads Hill Place near Rochester in Kent, where he passed away in 1870. (The house still stands, although it is now a private residence.)
All in all, Dickens spent 35 years in London, but Doughty Street is his only remaining London address.
Exploring Dickens’s Residence
The museum has been set up as a Victorian residence, complete with personal effects and possessions. And silk cords hanging from the ceiling to call the servants. (They don’t work. I tried.)
In the book lined study, Charles Dickens writing desk is on display. See how well-worn it is? It’s a moving sight.
The master bedroom comes complete with bathing tub (and it’s tiny, at that). It’s a sober reminder that toilets, bathrooms and indoor plumbing would not start appearing in houses until the second half of the 19th century. The water for the tub would have had to be pumped by hand and lugged all the way up from the basement. There would have been no electricity (or even gas lighting) either; the house would have been lit by candles.
The attic features a fragment of Marshalsea prison in Southwark, where Charles Dickens father was imprisoned for a time because he was unable to pay a debt. This, and the young Dickens stint as a worker in a boot polishing factory, was to have a profound impact on his writings.
The house next door, an extension to the main museum, hosts special exhibitions that change regularly.
The café and museum shop
It’s a tall house with many stairs, so after visiting, the café and its cosy atmosphere makes for a welcome rest spot. There’s a lovely garden, too, although that’s probably a reason to come back in the summer.
The shop – yes, of course there’s a shop – is packed with Dickens related items, from mugs to T-shirts to tote bags to pins, and even chocolate. And the books of the great man himself, of course.
The Charles Dickens museum: practical information
Website: https://dickensmuseum.com/
Address: 48-49 Doughty Street, WC1N 2LX
How to get to the Charles Dickens Museum: the nearest tube stops are Russell Square (Piccadilly Line), Chancery Lane (Central Line).
A bonus cookbook: did you know? Catherine Dickens, Charles Dickens wife, wrote a cookbook! OK, more of a cooking pamphlet, really. It was published in 1852, under the name Lady Maria Clutterbuck, and you can read it on Google Books: “What Shall We Have For Dinner?” The recipes start on page 46, and the one for mayonnaise is… not what you’d expect (probably).
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Where to go from there?
Well, there’s more Christmas displays at the Museum of the Home. Looking for vintage Christmas ornaments? Try Horner Antiques at Alfie’s Antique Market. Or you could visit the Finnish Church Christmas market, if the timing is right (or put it in your diary for next year).
Or you could check out photos of some Christmas windows?