Restoration House
A handsome townhouse with interiors "of rare poetry and historical resonance."
Crow Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1RF
Facilities
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Accessible loos
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Cafe / restaurant
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Easily accessible without car
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No parking
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
Restoration House is the amalgamation of two medieval buildings which were combined in the late 16th or early 17th-century to create a mansion house just outside the city wall of Rochester.
Over the past ten years the present owners have uncovered various parts of the decorative scheme which were the “run up” for King Charles II’s visit on the eve of his Restoration to the throne. These provide fascinating examples of fashionable mid-17th century Continental taste seen through provincial eyes at a time when such innovations had been quashed by Cromwell.
Within these “interiors of rare poetry and historical resonance” (Jeremy Musson, Country Life) is a collection of beautiful English pictures and furniture, with nine Gainsboroughs.
The walled gardens enclose a stunning parterre, topiary and other formal features, along with herbaceous borders, greenhouses, and a cutting garden. An amazing early 17th-century Italian garden, with wide terraces on three levels, statues, ponds and beautiful brickwork is now nearing completion.
Private tours Thursday and Friday in April.
£15 per head
Min 12 per group
Please note: The information on the Historic Houses website is advisory, but please always check the website of the house or garden you intend to visit before travelling.
June to September: Thursdays and Fridays, 10am to 5pm.
Normal ticket prices:
House and Garden: £11, Concessions: £9
Garden only: £6
Students and under 16: half price
Pre booked guided tour: £11
Groups are welcome, please contact for more information.
We offer tailored school visits for primary and secondary schools based on how people lived in houses before electricity.
Please contact us for more information on 01634 848520 or by email on robert.tucker@restorationhouse.co.uk.
- Wheelchair ramps/routes
Getting here
Crow Lane, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1RF
Located just off Rochester High St, in Crow Lane, opposite The Vines park.
We are a 5 min walk from Rochester station with services from Victoria, Charing Cross and HI Speed from St. Pancras (30 min).
Margaret Cumberland - Australia.
What would we do without such generous and forsightful owners preserving this beauty for us and the furture.
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