Support Dennis Severs' House

For over forty years, Dennis Severs’ House at 18 Folgate Street in Spitalfields has delighted visitors with its charismatic, atmospheric interiors. 

Central to conjuring up the magic of the past has been the presence of open fires throughout the house - the crackle of flames and the whiff of wood smoke - but now our three hundred year old chimneys are crumbling and unless we repair them immediately, we can no longer light fires. 

The house was built in 1724 with nine chimneys. After three centuries of fires, the soot encrusted brick work is decaying and we need to raise at least £50,000 to line them all so we can continue to evoke the atmosphere of the past, by welcoming guests with open fires just as Dennis intended.

David Hockney described a visit to Dennis Severs’ House as ‘one of the five greatest experiences on the planet.’ Since the death of Dennis Severs in 1999, the Spitalfields Trust have maintained his house, keeping the spirit of this unique place alive, and it is enjoyed today by thousands of visitors from across the world every year.

18 Folgate Street is a grade II listed property and we have a specialist contractor who can undertake the work on our chimneys to a conservation standard and - if we can raise the money - complete it in time for our famous Christmas openings.

PLEASE HELP US KEEP THE MAGIC OF DENNIS SEVERS’ HOUSE ALIVE!

The Victorian Parlour at Christmas

Dennis Severs came to Spitalfields in 1979 and bought a derelict house saved by the Spitalfields Trust. He reconfigured it to tell the story of an imaginary Huguenot family who had lived there since it was built in 1724.

The Kitchen

The Dining Room

‘Once I get you in there, I am going to bombard all of your senses until I create in your mind a picture or an impression – like a memory – which you can take away within you.’

The Dickens Attic

Photography by Lucinda Douglas Menzies