Charleston
Charleston
Near Firle
Lewes
East Sussex
BN8 6LL
England
Website
Telephone
Visitor Information
01323 811265
Group/ school bookings
01323 811626
Fax
01323 811628
‘It is not so much a house as a phenomenon’ Quentin Bell once said of Charleston. It was in 1916 that the phenomenon came into being, as Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and David Garnett made the move from Suffolk to Charleston, where Clive Bell and Maynard Keynes were also to be regular visitors. As conscientious objectors Grant and Garnett were exempted from military service providing they continued to work on the land and both found employment on a nearby farm. It was Virginia and Leonard Woolf, who lived locally, who had originally spotted the late 17th century Sussex farmhouse situated at the foot of the South Downs and encouraged Vanessa to make the move. Over the next 60 years the house was decorated by Bell and Grant, they painted walls, doors and furniture and produced decorated ceramics and needlepoint designs for their home.
After the death of Duncan Grant The Charleston Trust was formed to preserve the house and its remarkable collection, it has been described as ‘One of the most difficult and imaginative feats of restoration current in Britain’.
Charleston now hosts an active range of other associated events . Amongst these are a summer school, an annual festival, the Charleston Gallery, the quarterly Canvas publication, the Crafts Council listed shop and the continuing activities of the Friends of Charleston (who are now 1,400 strong).
Venue Type:
Historic house or home
Charleston is the only surviving complete example of the decorative work of Bell and Grant, with walls, doors and furniture painted in their exuberant style. The house shows an evolution in decorative style throughout its different rooms. Initially only Vanessa’s bedroom (now the library), Clive Bell’s study door and window and Duncan’s bedroom were decorated. Later the designs spread throughout the house, including the spare room in 1936 and the garden room in 1945.
Charleston not only houses an impressive collection of art by its inhabitants but also a varied collection of other artist’s work including sculpture by Renoir and Gimond and paintings by Fry, Picasso, Sickert and Derain.
The collection is continually developing - recent acquisitions include Duncan Grant’s ‘Self-Portrait in a Turban’ 1909 purchased with support from The National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, The National Art Collections Fund and The Pilgrim Trust and Duncan Grant’s copy of Piero della Francesca’s ‘Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino’ 1904/5 (this purchase was the first project to be supported by the Quentin Bell Commemoration Fund founded in 1997). Amongst recent loans are ‘Flowers against Chintz’ by Duncan Grant, 1956, from the Arts Council Collection and a bronze bust of Lytton Strachey by Stephen Tomlin, circa 1930, on loan from the Keatley Trust. The Tate Gallery have lent two pictures to the collection each season since 1993.
Collection details
Archives, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Personalities
Peggy Angus
Peggy Angus is an unsung hero of print and design, her hand-printed wallpaper and tiles were graphic and bold. Angus was a close friend of Eric Ravilious, who painted her cottage at Furlongs. This walk with Penny Fewster and artist Carolyn Trant tracks the landscape that inspired the community of artists she created.
Suitable for
When
10am-3pm
Admission
£45 includes lunch at The Ram, Firle.
Woolf walk
Walking in the footsteps of Virginia Woolf from her home in Rodmell to Charleston has many poignant moments when it becomes clear why walking was such an important part of her life. Dr Nuala Hancock will breathe life into extracts from Woolf's novels, diaries and personal papers. Joined by Penny Fewster who is an avid walker of the South Downs.
Suitable for
When
9:30am-4pm
Admission
£45 includes lunch at The Ram, Firle.
Haunted House Animation
Film-maker Lee Shearman will be using a variety of playful objects to create a stop motion animation short film, inspired by the Omega Puppet shows that the Bloomsbury Group held in London.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
10am-2:30pm
Admission
£10, booking essential
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