Surveyed
Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant moved into Charleston, a farmhouse below Firle Beacon, in 1916 and lived there for the rest of their lives, painting murals directly onto its walls, furniture and fireplaces. The Charleston Trust, a registered charity, opened the house to the public in 1986 and now displays more than 150 oil paintings alongside works by Renoir, Picasso and Derain that the two artists collected. A gallery wing designed by Jamie Fobert Architects opened in 2018 and runs a year-round exhibition programme separate from the historic rooms. The walled garden was laid out by Bell, Grant and Roger Fry. The Threshing Barn cafe and Hay Barn workshop space occupy two converted outbuildings. The house is open Wednesday to Sunday.