Charleston

Historic Houses & Building

Full of art history

A mile or so from Firle village, near the end of a track leading to the foot of the Downs, lies Charleston. It was discovered in 1916 by Virginia and Leonard Woolf when Virginia's sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, was looking for a place in the country. Vanessa moved here with fellow artist Duncan Grant, the writer David Garnett, her two young sons and an assortment of animals. It was an unconventional and creative household which became the focal point for artists and intellectuals later to be known as the Bloomsbury set, among them Roger Fry, Lytton Strachey and Maynard Keynes. Over the years the artists decorated the walls, furniture and ceramics with their own designs, influenced by Italian fresco painting and post-impressionist art. Creativity extended to the garden too. Mosaics were made in the piazza, sculpture was cleverly positioned to intrigue and subtle masses of colour were used in the planting. After Duncan Grant's death in 1978, the Charleston Trust was formed to save and restore the house to its former glory. The task has been described as "one of the most difficult and imaginative feats of restoration current in Britain". OPENING TIMES 1 April - 31 October Wed - Sun: 2 - 5pm. July & August Wed - Sat: 11.30am - 5pm Sun: 2 - 5pm. September & October Wed - Sun: 2 - 5pm. November - December Christmas shopping Sat & Sun, 2 - 5pm. Guided visits Wed - Sat, unguided on Suns. House closed Mon & Tue except BH Mons. Connoisseur Fridays April - June, September and October, in-depth tour of the house, including Vanessa Bell's studio and the kitchen