Unusual Sights in London Weird & Wonderful London Dickens MuseumCharles Dickens Museum
The Charles Dickens Museum holds a collection of material relating to the Victorian novelist and commentator - some of it manuscripts of his work, other pieces include his original furniture. Dickens himself lived here from 
1837-1839, a short period, but it's the only one of his many homes which survives. Over four floors, visitors can see paintings, rare editions and many items relating to the life of Charles Dickens.
Dickens moved to the house after the successful publication of Pickwick Papers. At the time it was a private road, with porters manning the entrances to Doughty Street at either end. It must have been the first taste of success, after much privation in his earlier life, which undoubtedly contributed to his ability to relate to the ordinary citizens of Victorian England. He was highly productive at the address, producing amongst others: Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby and a personal favourite, Sketches by Boz.
When he was younger, Charles Dickens lived in London with his family , but his father spent beyond their means. He was incarcerated in Marshalsea Debtors' Prison, with the rest of his family joining him, except Charles. Charles took up work pasting labels onto shoe polish tins and the tough conditions undoubtedly shaped the young man and his literary ambitions. He was his family's sole means of support and late into adulthood, Dickens possessed a constant fear of slipping back into poverty. It's poignant that for the first time in his life he was able to relax here.
The house in Doughty Street was purchased by the Dickens Fellowship and renovated in 1923, when it was scheduled for demolition. It opened as the Charles Dickens Museum in a ceremony overseen by Lord Birkenhead in 1925.
Open: Mon-Sat 10-5pm. Sun 11-5pm.
Admission: Adults: £6.00, Senior Citizens and Students: £4.50, Children: £3.00
Families: £15.00 (two adults & up to five children)
The Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street, London, WC1N 2LX.
Russell Square or Chancery Lane Tube.
Call: 020 7405 2127
