Plan Your Visit

Dr Johnson’s House

Dr Johnson’s House is a rare 17th - century town house just off Fleet Street in the City of London, and home to Samuel Johnson for over a decade in the middle of the 18th century. It was here he had his most prolific writing period, completing his seminal Dictionary of the English Language (1755) as well as writing a play, a novel, periodicals and poetry.

To combat his various personal adversities during his time at the house, Johnson filled it with friends and people in need of support, ranging from blind poet and translator Anna Williams to the formerly enslaved person, Francis Barber, who became his (paid) servant and subsequent heir.

Dr Johnson’s House is a remarkable example of a Queen Anne townhouse and contains a wealth of original architectural features, including 18th-century floorboards, a central spiral stairwell, and rare, original ‘moving’ panelled walls on the open-plan first floor.

Take a look at Dr Johnson’s House website to see what's on.

Listing location

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