The CWC journeyed back in time 300 years on our exciting trip to Dennis Severs' House on Friday, January 29th.
Visiting this historic gem, located in London's Spitalfields, feels like entering into a still-life painting of a time long since past, but with the smell of food being cooked and the distant ringing of church bells to stimulate the senses.
A truly authentic experience, we were invited to silently tour the candlelit house and peer into the lives of an imagined 18th century Huguenot family. With each room frozen in time, decorated as former owner Dennis Severs envisioned it would have looked those many years ago, we were reminded of the House motto: "You either see it or you don't."
In the parlour, a feast was in full swing with meat pies, pomegranates, bread, oysters, and fruit covering the table. Wood-burning fireplaces in every room, quill and ink on the tables, and a clothes line draped in white linens were all reminders of a distant, less convenient age. The vast collection of china and oriental rugs along with the maps and globes reveal a lifestyle of elegance and worldliness that helped usher in our current global age.
This house speaks volumes about London’s history and although we had to stick to the rules of maintaining silence (and no photos) throughout the visit we enjoyed learning more about the creative artist Dennis Severs and the Spitalfields area from our host and curator, David Milne - pictured with us.
A fun time was had by all! Thank you to Art and Design Leader Unni Claridge for finding this gem and to Flora Tan for admin on the day.
Tours of the house can be booked strictly by appointment only! Visit the Dennis Servers' House website for more information.
Submitted by Laurel Steurnagel.
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