Photo credit: © Martin Deutsch, CC BY-ND 2.0
For all those who love history, the Silent Night explorations of Dennis Severs’ House are a must. Held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings until 8 January (and on Friday evenings thereafter), you will peruse the house by candlelight, transporting you to how it would’ve been experienced by its past occupants. You are welcome to walk around at your own pace but are asked to remain silent so that you can let the ticking clocks, crackling fires, scents of woodsmoke and oranges enhance your experience.
The Georgian Spitalfields home was created from the wondrous imagination of owner Dennis Severs. Purchased in 1979 as a building in need of much renovation, it provided the history enthusiast with a blank canvas with which to weave and play out its story. It embroiders the life of the devised Huguenot silk weaver Jervis family who lived at the house from 1725 to 1919. Severs’ friend, historian Dan Cruikshank, stated “It was never meant to be an accurate historical creation of a specific moment – it was an evocation of a world. It was essentially a theatre set.”
Described by David Hockney as “one of the world’s top five experiences”, it’s one of London’s historical gems which we highly recommend.