Mrs Gaskell’s House
The Gaskells moved to 84, Plymouth Grove in June 1850, following the publication of Mrs Gaskell’s first novel, ‘Mary Barton’, two years earlier and this was where Elizabeth lived for the rest of her life.
Plymouth Grove is found outside Manchester city centre in the suburb of Ardwick. Number 84 is a large Regency-style villa- a beautiful building now surrounded by ugly modern houses and flats. Built as part of a new suburban development planned by Richard Lane, it is now a rare example of the elegant villas once popular in Manchester.
The house opened to the public in 2014 following years of hard-work and fundraising. One of the guides told us that it had, at one time, been used as student accommodation- lucky students! Now it has been restored to its former glory and has been lovingly restored using Elizabeth’s own letters and research to present the rooms as they are thought to have been when she lived here.
It was in this house that Elizabeth Gaskell wrote two of her most famous novels, Cranford (1853) and North and South (1855) with her desk positioned so that she could enjoy the gardens. Entering through the front door, visitors are able to see, on the left, the Morning Room where they can learn about Victorian Manchester and on the right, William Gaskell’s study with an extensive collection of books, volumes that are known or believed to have been owned or read by the Gaskells. The Drawing Room and Dining Room are also presented as Mrs Gaskell would have known them. Her bedroom has also been restored, with clothes in the wardrobe and her wedding veil made of Brussels lace.
Charlotte Bronte visited Plymouth Grove several times, describing it as ‘a large, cheerful, airy house’. Dickens was another visitor here, calling unexpectedly at 10am. Mrs Gaskell had an exceptionally busy, active social life and was engaged in many works of charity. She was an active humanitarian with her novels conveying messages about the need for social reform, for better understanding between employers and workers and between all layers of society. Her writing was carefully researched, including taking particular care when reproducing northern dialects accurately.
Elizabeth Gaskell died suddenly on 12th November 1865 at The Lawn, a house in Holybourne in Hampshire that she was secretly buying as a surprise for her husband and family.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is a lovely place to visit!
Elizabeth Gaskell's House,
84 Plymouth Grove,
Manchester M13 9LW