Restoration House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Restoration House |
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Restoration House from The Vines
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| Type | House |
| Etymology | Visit of King Charles II on the eve of his restoration |
| Location | Rochester, Kent |
| OS grid reference | TQ 74363 68213 |
| Earliest phase | 1454 |
| Restored by | Rod Hull and subsequent owners |
| Current use | Home |
| Website | https://www.restorationhouse.co.uk/ |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Restoration House including wall and gate piers attached to front | |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1185341 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Remains of summer house in garden 25 metres east of Restoration House | |
| Designated | 2 December 1991 |
| Reference no. | 1086519 |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: Flint and diapered brick wall at rear of Nos 1 and 3, East Row | |
| Designated | 23 January 2008 |
| Reference no. | 1392369 |
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Restoration House is a beautiful old house in Rochester, Kent, England. It's a great example of a large house from the Elizabethan era (around the late 1500s).
The house got its special name because King Charles II stayed there. This was just before he became king again in 1660. This event is known as the Restoration.
King Charles II landed in Dover on May 25, 1660. By May 28, he arrived in Rochester. The Mayor welcomed him, and he spent the night at what is now Restoration House. The next day, May 29, was his 30th birthday. He traveled to London and was officially declared King.
Even though it's a private home, you can visit the house and its gardens in the summer. It's a very important historical building. It is protected as a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered very special.
History of Restoration House
Restoration House wasn't always one big house. It started as two separate medieval buildings. One was built in 1454, and the other between 1502 and 1522. There was a space between them.
Around 1640 to 1660, a third building was added in the middle. This joined the two older parts to create the larger house we see today. The first owner of the completed house was Henry Clerke. He was a lawyer and a Member of Parliament for Rochester.
In 1670, Henry Clerke made more changes. He updated the front of the house and added the grand Great Staircase. Later, the house was bought by William Bockenham. In the late 1800s, Stephen T. Aveling owned it. He even wrote a history of the house.
Saving Restoration House
In 1986, a famous English entertainer named Rod Hull bought the house. He paid £270,000 for it. He wanted to save it from being turned into a car park! Rod Hull then spent another £500,000 to restore the house. This helped bring it back to its former glory.
The current owners have also done a lot of work. They found original decorations from the mid-1600s. These show the popular styles of that time, which were influenced by European fashion.
Restoration House and Charles Dickens
Did you know that a famous writer was inspired by Restoration House? The novelist Charles Dickens lived nearby in Rochester. His friend and biographer, John Forster, said that Dickens used Restoration House as a model.
It was the inspiration for Miss Havisham's spooky Satis House in his famous book, Great Expectations. The name "Satis House" actually comes from another house in Rochester. That house was where Queen Elizabeth I was entertained by Sir Richard Watts. Today, it's an office for King's School, Rochester.
