Behind Closed Doors
We are pleased to report that, despite another lockdown, our restoration of Elizabeth’s bedroom has been gathering pace behind the scenes and we have now acquired many of the items of furniture on our shopping list. We know the original four-poster bed
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Needle in a Haystack?
An intriguing entry in the Sale Catalogue of items auctioned from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House back in 1914 says “Presentation Copy from Rev W. Gaskell to Mrs Gaskell, 22nd Nov. 1852”. This inscription was inside an edition of Alfred Tennyson’s Ode on the
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To Buy or not to Buy that is the Question
Volunteers at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House are often asked if Elizabeth ever bought 84 Plymouth Grove. The answer is definitely no, but her daughters, Meta and Julia, did purchase the property in 1900, many years after both their parents had died. So let
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Meet the Neighbours
After moving into a new house, it is always useful to know your neighbours. I am sure Elizabeth would have already known many of her new neighbours in Plymouth Grove as they were mainly Manchester merchants, manufacturers and local dignitaries, some possibly
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And We’ve Got a House. Yes! We really have.’
So writes Elizabeth in April 1850 about 42 Plymouth Grove, the house that was to become the Gaskells' family home for the next 63 years. Over the years, our visitors have shown a great deal of interest in this building and the
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