Upcoming Sales

Three letters written by Charles Dickens to the manager of the Bedford Hotel in Brighton were sold for a total of £2,400 at Gorringes on 2nd September.

Built in the early 1820s, The Bedford Hotel was a majestic building on the seafront, popular with many well-known figures of the day, even royalty. Charles Dickens was a regular visitor to the hotel; staying there with friends and he also wrote ‘Dombey & Sons’ there.

In one letter Dickens writes of a proposed visit with the fellow writer, Wilkie Collins, who was a close friend:

'Tavistock House, London.

Monday Second March 1857

.
Dear Mr Ellis.

As I have not been in Brighton for sometime and want a walk on the Downs, I propose coming to you next Friday, with a literary friend (Mr Wilkie Collins) for about three days. Will you be so good as let me know whether you have room enough to give us a sitting room and two bedrooms? If you reply yes, perhaps you will let our people know that we shall come down early in the afternoon and we will dine at six.

Faithfully yours Charles Dickens'

Although any letter written by Charles Dickens is of interest, these letters are all the more valuable because the Bedford Hotel no longer exists and its demise is tinged with some controversy.

In 1963 it was purchased by AVP Industries, and in that year there was a huge outcry by conservationists surrounding their desire to replace the building with a modern 14-storey tower block. Shortly after this, on 1 April 1964, the original building was destroyed by a fire — with the death of two people.
The hotel was rebuilt on the same site, re-opening on 16 September 1967. The 168-feet tall, 17-storey block was designed by R. Seifert and Partners as a 127-room hotel (The Hilton West Pier Hotel today) and also a section of private domestic flats, known as Bedford Towers.

Quick Links

My Account

Catalogues & Newsletters

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

Keep up to date with Gorringes email alerts.

» Sign Up
» View Newsletters

CATALOGUE DOWNLOADS

Download and view Gorringes past and present catalogues.

» View Catalogues