Gads Hill Place

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Gads Hill Place at Higham, Kent was the house where Charles Dickens lived after making his fortune as the most successful British author of his generation. Charles Dickens first saw the mansion when he was 9 years old in 1821, and told his father that he would like to live there some day. His father told him that if he worked hard enough, his dream may come true.

This influenced the following text in the Uncommercial Traveller:

"So smooth was the old high road, and so fresh were the horses, and so fast went I, that it was midway between Gravesend and Rochester, and the widening river was bearing the ships, white sailed or black-smoked, out to sea, when I noticed by the wayside a very queer small boy.

'Holloa!' said I, to the very queer small boy, 'where do you live?'

'At Chatham,' says he.

'What do you do there?' says I.

'I go to school,' says he.

I took him up in a moment, and we went on. Presently, the very queer small boy says, 'This is Gads-hill we are coming to, where Falstaff went out to rob those travellers, and ran away.'

'You know something about Falstaff, eh?' said I.

'All about him,' said the very queer small boy. 'I am old (I am nine), and I read all sorts of books. But DO let us stop at the top of the hill, and look at the house there, if you please!'

'You admire that house?' said I.

'Bless you, sir,' said the very queer small boy, 'when I was not more than half as old as nine, it used to be a treat for me to be brought to look at it. And now, I am nine, I come by myself to look at it. And ever since I can recollect, my father, seeing me so fond of it, has often said to me, "If you were to be very persevering and were to work hard, you might some day come to live in it." Though that's impossible!' said the very queer small boy, drawing a low breath, and now staring at the house out of window with all his might.

I was rather amazed to be told this by the very queer small boy; for that house happens to be MY house, and I have reason to believe that what he said was true.'

Thirty six years later, after Dickens had risen to fame and wealth, his dream did come true. He lived there until his death in 1870.

He wrote many of his later works in the summer house in the grounds of the house. The summer house has been preserved and moved to Rochester as a memorial to the writer.

In 1924 the house became Gad's Hill School.