Dennis Severs’ House
18 Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London E1 6BX
An unusual and esoteric stop on a tour of the East End that’s part theatre, part art installation and part museum, this house offers a rare chance to enter one of the wonderful old Huguenot mansions that characterise this area. Formerly owned by the American artist Dennis Severs, who until his death in 1999 lived here without heating, in high Georgian style, it’s full of atmosphere, with a genuine feel of the uncanny, something you can appreciate best during one of candlelit tours that are regularly conducted of the house. You are invited to imagine that 18 Folegate Street has recently been vacated by its 18th-century inhabitants, and ambient sound and smells enhance the experience.