One of the greatest writers in the English language was born in Portsmouth, a fact the city is quietly proud of. The modest terraced house where Charles Dickens arrived in 1812 is now a small, charming museum, and it makes a lovely literary detour.
Where Dickens began
Charles Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 at what is now 393 Old Commercial Road, then a smart new terrace on the edge of town. His father John worked at the Navy Pay Office in Portsmouth Dockyard, and although the family moved away while Charles was still very young, the house where it all started survives as a small museum run by Portsmouth City Council.
Inside the house
The house has been furnished in the Regency style of around 1812, giving a vivid sense of the genteel but far-from-grand home the Dickens family kept. The rooms are intimate rather than opulent, which is rather the point: this is the ordinary starting line of an extraordinary life.
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The most poignant exhibit has nothing to do with his birth. The couch on which Dickens died at Gad’s Hill in 1870 was brought here, so the house holds both the beginning and, in a sense, the end of his story under one roof.
| Born | 7 February 1812 |
| Address | 393 Old Commercial Road, Portsmouth |
| Run by | Portsmouth City Council |
| Style | Furnished as a Regency home of 1812 |
Planning a visit
This is a small, seasonal attraction, typically open from spring to autumn plus a celebration around Dickens’ birthday in February, with a modest admission charge of a few pounds. It is worth checking the current opening days before setting out, as hours are limited. You will find it on Old Commercial Road, a short walk north of the city centre, Cascades and Portsmouth & Southsea station.
A small house with a big name
It is a modest house, and that is exactly the appeal.
“Do not expect a grand stately home,” says one of our team. “Expect a modest terrace, a lot of atmosphere, and the strange thrill of standing in the exact room where Charles Dickens was born. For a book lover, that is more than enough.”
For anyone raised on his novels, that little terrace on Old Commercial Road is well worth seeking out.
