£65

Led by Dr Tessa Murdoch the visit will start at Restoration House and Vine House. Named after the visit of King Charles II on 28 May 1660, the eve of his Restoration, the house is situated in the heart of historic Rochester.

These adjacent properties have been lovingly restored by Robert Tucker and his partner Jonathan Wilmot who have lived there since 1994.  They are furnished with 17th and 18th century furniture and paintings, judiciously placed. These include Gainsborough’s portrait of his Huguenot brother-in-law, either Philip Dupot, the Sudbury carpenter or his brother Robert Dupont. The first-floor dining room at the Vines retains its japanned décoration dating back to the 1690s. The admission charge covers a copy of the excellent guide book.

The French Hospital La Providence, founded in London, 1718, moved to Rochester, 1958. Portraits of officers and directors, sacred and secular silver and memorabilia of Huguenot settlers are distributed between the Hospital and the Huguenot Museum, opened 2015, which tells the story of Britain’s first refugees, Protestants, who left France due to religious persecution under Louis XIV.

The day will conclude with a visit to Rochester Cathedral and the special exhibition ‘Crossing: Community and Refuge’ which features the Lampedusa cross on loan from the British Museum and engages with refugees past and present.

Lunch is included in this visit. This visit is for Georgian Group members only. 

Dr Tessa Murdoch was educated at the University of London and has worked as a museum curator since 1981. This has included roles at the Museum of London and the Victoria and Albert Museum, where she worked in the Furniture Department and (from 2002) as Deputy Keeper in Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass. She was lead curator for the V&A Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Galleries (2005) and the V&A Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Galleries (2009).

If tickets have sold out for this event, please email members@georgiangroup.org.uk to be added to the waiting list.