"Dr Johnson’s House" Literary London Tip by toonsarah

I was recently lucky enough to be invited, through my work, to a private evening tour of Dr Samuel Johnson’s House – the first time I had visited this historic home. But there’s no need for you to wait for such an invitation as the house is open to the general public.

Dr Johnson was the author of the famous dictionary that bears his name, and by all accounts (or at least, according to all that our wonderfully informative guide told us) was quite a character. He actually lived in quite a few different houses in this part of town, but it was here that he actually compiled the dictionary. He lived here between 1748 and 1759, and the house has largely been restored to how it would have looked at that time. On display are numerous pictures of Johnson and his wide circle of friends, some furniture of the period and an extensive library. You can browse the pages of a replica of the first edition of the diary, and learn a lot about London life at that time.

Usually your visit will be self-guided, but if you can get together a group of between 10 and 25 people you can pre-book a tour, something I would definitely recommend based on the one we had. We learned so much about Johnson’s character, his life and the many other (mostly famous) people in his circle. You can book a tour by calling the number below or via the website.

The house is open daily, from 11.00 am to 5.30 pm May-September, and 11.00 am to 5.00 pm October-April. Admission for adults is £4.50 at the time of writing (spring 2012), £3.0 for seniors and £1.50 for children.

Outside the house, don’t miss the small statue of Johnson’s cat Hodge at the other (eastern) end of the small square.

Address: 17 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DE
Directions: The nearest tube stations are Temple (Circle & District Line), Holborn or Chancery Lane (Central Line). The house is a bit hidden, so check the map on the website below before travelling
Phone: 020 7353 3745
Website: http://www.drjohnsonshouse.org/