Spade House

Country house in Sandgate, Kent
51°04′29″N 1°09′09″E / 51.0747°N 1.1525°E / 51.0747; 1.1525Built1899-1903ArchitectC. F. A. VoyseyArchitectural style(s)Arts & CraftsGoverning bodyPrivately owned
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameSpade HouseDesignated11 March 1975Reference no.1061164
Spade House is located in Kent
Spade House
Location of Spade House in Kent

Spade House, (now Wells House), is a large mansion overlooking Sandgate, near Folkestone, in southeast England. It was the home of the science fiction writer H. G. Wells from 1901 to 1909. Designed by C. F. A. Voysey, it is a Grade II* listed building.

History

The house was designed by C. F. A. Voysey, and extended in 1903.[1] Voysey included a signature heart shape on the door of every home he designed, but Wells rejected this in favour of a spade.[2] H.G. and Catherine Wells' two sons were born here, and while living at Spade House Wells wrote books including Kipps, Tono-Bungay and Ann Veronica.[3]

The house has been Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England since March 1975.[4] It is now occupied by the "Wells House" nursing home.[3] At the entrance is an ornate nameplate and a blue plaque from the Sandgate Society, commemorating the link to Wells.[5]

  • Vosey design
    Vosey design
  • Wells at Spade House, 1907
    Wells at Spade House, 1907
  • Blue plaque commemorating Wells
    Blue plaque commemorating Wells

References

  1. ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Newman, John (2013). "Spade House, Sandgate, Kent". voyseysociety.org. The C. F. A. Voysey Society. Retrieved 13 March 2021. Extract from Kent: North & East
  2. ^ Glazzard, Andrew (17 September 2013). "Edwardian Encounters: Spade House". edwardianculture.com. Edwardian Culture Network. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b Williams, Sam (12 November 2020). "War of the Worlds author HG Wells and his love for Sandgate, near Folkestone". Kent Online. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  4. ^ Historic England, "Spade House (1061164)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 October 2017
  5. ^ "House of H. G. Wells". atlasobscura.com. Atlas Obscura. 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.

Media related to Spade House at Wikimedia Commons

  • "Archive ref. 5cfe4221a2650" (PDF). archive.sandgatesociety. Sandgate Society. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  • Complete H. G. Wells texts at Gutenberg
  • Boerst, William (2000). Time Machine: The Story of H. G. Wells. Morgan Reynolds. ISBN 9781883846404. Retrieved 13 March 2021. Juvenile non-fction