9 June 2011 Last updated at 16:35

In pictures: Charles Dickens' home Gad's Hill in Kent

On the 141st anniversary of Charles Dickens' death, a project has begun which will allow his former home in Higham near Rochester, Gad's Hill Place, to be open to the public.

The house was much loved by Dickens and he had wanted it since he was a boy living in Chatham. It is reported that his father said: "If you were to be very persevering and were to work hard, you might some day come to live in it."

On 14 March 1856 at the age of 44, Charles Dickens achieved his dream and wrote a cheque for £1,790 to buy Gad's Hill Place and 26 acres of land. He is pictured here with his daughters Mary and Katey.

During the first month at Gad's Hill Place the Dickens family had Hans Christian Anderson to stay. Although it is reported he stayed three weeks longer than planned, much to Dickens' displeasure.

Gad's Hill School has occupied the site for teaching since the 1920s. Now a project has begun to build a new £10m school building in the grounds allowing Gad's Hill Place to be turned into a heritage centre next year.

The headmaster's study was formerly Dickens' study. Headmaster David Cragg said that if Dickens walked into the study tomorrow he would recognise it as if he had walked out the day before.

The study door features a mock bookshelf which Dickens had installed so that when shut it blends in with the rest of the bookshelves. He invented titles for the dummy books to reflect his own prejudices and opinions.

When he moved into Gad's Hill, Dickens immediately embarked on improving and repairing the property. He inserted wooden panels in the staircase which were then hand-painted by his daughter Katey.

Dickens added a conservatory to the rear of the dining room. Dickens was proud of this addition to the house but he died shortly after it was completed.

Dickens wrote much of his work in a miniature Swiss chalet in the garden. It was on the other side of the road to the house so he built a tunnel to walk to it which runs under the road. The chalet is no longer there but the tunnel remains.

Norman Munn is one of the Rochester and Chatham Dickens Fellowship and is also a school governor and a member of the trust which has been set up to help turn Charles Dickens' former home into a heritage centre. It is due to open to the public in 2012.

Kent

In pictures: Charles Dickens' home Gad's Hill in Kent

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