Dickens Chalet To Rear Of Eastgate House

Dickens Chalet, located to the rear of Eastgate House, is a Grade I listed wooden chalet from the 19th century, designed in a Swiss style. The building is two storeys high and features an overhanging roof with decorative bargeboarding supported by shaped brackets. The first floor has windows with external shutters and a balcony to the east, which includes shaped splat balusters and a decorative pendant frieze. The entrance consists of a panelled double door with shuttered side openings, and the upper panel is pierced.

This chalet was given to Charles Dickens by the actor Charles Fetcher and was erected in the grounds of Godshill in 1865. Dickens used it as a writing retreat from 1865 until his death in 1870. Before being moved to its current location behind Eastgate House, it was previously situated at the Crystal Palace and Cobham Hall. The chalet is listed for its significant association with Charles Dickens.