Dennis Severs' House

Stunning, unique, atmospheric - there aren't enough superlatives. A true oasis of time travel in London. Beautiful antique furnishings & décor; candlelight & homeliness, including fire-warmth and smells. A must for lovers of history, interiors, architecture.
No touching of objects or photos inside.
We took the silent self guided tour, which I loved.

I had the most incredible and memorable experience at Dennis Severs’ House! I can’t stop thinking about it. The theme of ‘still-life drama’ is stunning - the whole house is as if it’s the mid-1700s, and you’ve stepped back in time. Experiencing the house by candle light in silence felt like a religious experience. Not being allowed to take photos made it easy to completely focus on the little details and truly, the drama. I highly recommend visiting - the sights and smells are all worth taking it.

Really enjoyed visiting this historical building. We didn’t book in advance. Would recommend to wear glasses if you are shortsighted, as the rooms are very dimly lit ( by candlelight) so that you can see and read everything clearly. Lovely experience!

Fascinating. Unique. Maximalist. There is nowhere quite like Dennis Servers’ house! It’s part museum, part art gallery and part interactive experience. It’s the history of one man’s life and passion. A mixture of period pieces, flea market bargains and original pieces of art. The house itself is amazing and a rare chance to experience what life must have been like for the Huguenots who lived in the area. But the arrangement of so many different and unusual things creates an otherworldly environment like no other. Enhanced with aromas and soundscapes you momentarily forget about the outside world. The staff are very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and make the whole experience unforgettable.

First off: not taking photos is a request on entry, so everyone can enjoy their visit. The rooms are tiny, the candlelit areas purposeful: and bringing out your bright phone to take photos will absolutely destroy the immersion this place wants to share. People who have posted interior photos completely missed the point, and need to be more caring of this space and other visitors.

If you're a fan of Punch Drunk Theatre, this is going to be your jam!

I found it just a mad little experience - provoking your imagination, senses, emotions. At first it's like you're a detective, but then you just absorb it.

You're an uninvited guest, for a split second in history, in each room. What can you pick up from being in another person's room? What would they have been doing just before you walked in? Things might stand out to you, some beautiful, some dramatic - curious or enigmatic. Or a sense of grimness and cold?

Saw so many little details that reminded me of my inner thrills. A sconce where a bird is feeding a dragon, a pomegranate seed on a fork, a broken wax seal next to an almost opened letter, little feathers placed in a porcelain bird. Old spectacles on an open book, envelopes with inked addresses. The smell of a fire, a filled wine glass next to a pipe being filled with tobacco. Broken birdcages ...
So so many events, lives, moments.

No spoilers, as every visit and every visitor will see and feel differently. I loved how certain things repeat but go through eras. And how the final room feels how the gaze changed ...

Don't forget to look behind the panelled screen in one of the bedrooms, you will absolutely never predict what's there 😂

Holy cow. If you love history and enjoy a fully immersive experience of a home from 18th-19th century, you MUST come here. There are so many things to experience in London, but this hidden gem is definitely one of them.

Visited during the open house a few years back. Can be quite an experience if your mind is set to it. It's like walking back in time. What i particularly liked is that it's all about being there rather than seeing something specifically. It's about getting a feel for a different era.

Absolutely loved it the perfect Christmas experience ! Every room was fascinating with an amazing collection of things from that period in time. The lighting by candlelight and the fires in every room added to the atmosphere and authentic smell of an old property. What a hidden gem and labour of love-pure theatre . No one rushed us and visitors are staggered so it was just us in every room rather than a group.
If you get the chance to visit l highly recommend it .

Calm, welcoming, fascinating visually engaging. Not stuffy nor 'precious' eg it's OK to sit in the chairs and quietly absorb the ambiance.

Really cool place. Such a good hour to spend walking around looking at all of the different rooms.

This was just the most amazing and captivating place. It was recommended to is by the freinds we went with.
The tour is in silence and this adds to the experience.
There is so much detail to take in, you need at least an hour, but 2 hours would still be time well spent.
We are going to go at other times to get other seasonal experiences.

What a lovely experience. This is something special. Put your phone on silent and away and experience living years ago. Make a reservation online, to be sure to have a spot. We were lucky and only had to wait 30 min. The details in the house are incredible!

Really unique experience. Went on the Friday evening Silent Night self tour and the ambiance of all the creaking and the smells was a neat augmentation to the main show: a very old house that provokes a good bit of thought about pace of change and contrasts to modern amenities that’s much different that typical historic home exhibits.

Takes about 30 minutes to get through the house with a reasonable amount of poking about. No bathroom. Go when it’s dark outside if you can—probably could see less than I did with early evening sun, but think it must add more to experience.

It’s absolutely marvellous! An amazing experience for anyone slightly interested or completely nerdy about history. The beauty and detailing almost made me cry haha.
The installations change throughout the year too.

You will travel more in time within these walls than in any historic place. The place creakily eerily breathes with its creation & purpose. A must visit if ever have the chance!

Really enjoyed this immersion into other centuries. Only thing that spoilt it was a selfish woman on her phone, evidently her daughter was desperate for her to come home and babysit. Shame the staff didn't implement the no-phone rule and tell her to shut up or leave. Well worth a visit and pretty good value fpr London.

Intensely atmospheric even down to the authentic sooty smokey whiffs from the only form of heating in the whole house - solid fuel burning in all the key rooms. The decor is entirely genuine in look & feel. One can indeed imagine how life must have been lived 200-300 years ago. But the cream of the experience was the excellent rendering of the story of the house & it’s inhabitants over the centuries. Joel was an accomplished scene setter & story teller!
Compelling & commanding although there is so much to take in visually that one’s attention can drift!
My only huff is that we weren’t offered a glass of mulled wine at the end as reviews show some attendees have been. Nevertheless a special & very memorable experience. We urge you to go!

Absolutely amazing experience. This is seriously one of the most interesting and fascinating experiences I've ever had.

One of a kind experience which I would not trade for a regular museum visit. Entering the house, I became witness to the “still life drama”, absolutely beautiful displays of historical objects and fruit, left there as if the past owner just left the house. The smell and hearing were integral to the experience, which usually is just sight-based. The house felt absolutely genuine and pre-industrial, it felt like entering the pictures of Vermeer and Old Masters. Definitely worth the prize. I participated in the Silent Walk and found the experience particularly soothing, especially of the warm air, candlelight, and the smell of candles.

Cannot recommend it for people with movement disabilities or poor vision, as the interiors get pretty dark at times and the floor is uneven.

This house will change your life. Step back in time as you enter. The candlelight and fireplaces set the scene for intimate theater productions and tours. It was truly wonderful. The "Simon Story" show is joyous and the acting will knock you socks off!! Right out of the book Marvals by Brian Selznick.