Restoration house
Encyclopedia
Restoration House in Rochester, Kent
, England, is a fine example of an Elizabethan mansion. It is so named because King Charles II
stayed there in 1660 on his way to reclaim England's throne, an event known as the Restoration
.
Although essentially a private home, the house and garden are open to the public during the summer.
The house was purchased for £270,000 by the English entertainer Rod Hull
, in 1986, to save it from being turned into a car park; and he then spent another £500,000 restoring it. It was taken by the Receiver
in 1994 to cover an unpaid tax bill.
The current owners over the past decade 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.
, who lived nearby, used Restoration House as a model for Miss Havisham's Satis House
in Great Expectations
; the name "Satis House" belongs to the house where Rochester MP, Sir Richard Watts
, entertained Queen Elizabeth I
- it is now the administrative office of The King's School, Rochester
.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England, is a fine example of an Elizabethan mansion. It is so named because King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
stayed there in 1660 on his way to reclaim England's throne, an event known as the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
.
Although essentially a private home, the house and garden are open to the public during the summer.
History
Restoration House was originally two medieval buildings with a space between. They were joined together in the late 16th or early 17th century by inserting a third building between the two, to create a larger house. The first owner was Henry Clerke, a lawyer and Rochester MP. The house was then bought by William Bockenham. It was owned by Stephen T. Aveling in the late 19th century, and he wrote a history of the house which was published in Vol. 15 of "Archaeologia Cantiana".The house was purchased for £270,000 by the English entertainer Rod Hull
Rod Hull
Rodney Stephen Hull , better known as Rod Hull, was a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet of the flightless emu bird...
, in 1986, to save it from being turned into a car park; and he then spent another £500,000 restoring it. It was taken by the Receiver
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in 1994 to cover an unpaid tax bill.
The current owners over the past decade 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.
Charles Dickens
According to the biographer John Forster, the novelist Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, who lived nearby, used Restoration House as a model for Miss Havisham's Satis House
Satis House
Satis House is a fictional estate in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations.Satis House is the home of Miss Havisham, a rich woman, heiress to her father's fortune, who was abandoned by her intended husband on her wedding day...
in Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
; the name "Satis House" belongs to the house where Rochester MP, Sir Richard Watts
Richard Watts
Sir Richard Watts was a successful businessman and MP for Rochester, Kent in the 1570s. He supplied rations for the English Navy as deputy victualler and supervised the construction of Upnor Castle...
, entertained Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
- it is now the administrative office of The King's School, Rochester
The King's School, Rochester
The King's School, Rochester is an independent school in Rochester, Kent. It is a cathedral school, and being part of the foundation of Rochester Cathedral, the Dean of Rochester Cathedral serves as the chair of the school's governing body...
.