Description

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The remarkable story of how the home of key members of the Bloomsbury set was brought back from the brink of ruin and lovingly restored to life

When the painter Duncan Grant died in 1978, the house in East Sussex that he and Vanessa Bell had rented since World War I was in a very sorry state. Amazingly, the original designs and decor created over the years were still in place—the wall surfaces, the furniture, the wood panels, the ceramics, the fabrics, the paintings, and, of course, the garden. However, damp, dirt, and neglect had reduced these to a most wretched state, risking the loss of a house with real historic, cultural, and artistic significance. This book tells how Deborah Gage, a determined young woman in her twenties, set about saving this house by galvanizing support, raising money, and masterminding the project. With the help of many individuals and despite setbacks, the restoration was a success. This account describes the work in detail, giving a fascinating insight into the restoration of a house and a garden. Today, Charleston is open to the public—an extraordinary achievement, carried out with passion and conviction, and a fitting celebration of the lives of those who lived there.

About the Author

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Anthea Arnold has worked for Cambridge University Press, the Nuffield Foundation, and as a primary-school teacher in the London Borough of Brent. She has written two books: Briglin Pottery, published in 2002, and Eight Men in a Crate: The Ordeal of the Advance Party of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1955–1957, published in 2007. She became a Life Friend of Charleston in July 1986 and has worked there in various capacities as a volunteer. Anthea lives in Burwash, East Sussex.