The Rossetti Bungalow

by Pat Orpwood

The Rossetti Bungalow was built by John Seddon, a well-known London architect. He had originally been involved with John Taylor who had built the first bungalows at Westgate and who had bought land along the coast at Birchington in 1870. (see Article from Newsletter 2). After Taylor died, Seddon finished the tower bungalows along the cliff and had plans to extend the site around the original bungalows. The Birchington-on-Sea railway station was constructed in 1878 and Seddon had in mind attracting wealthy visitors to his new bungalows.

The area being developed was known by Seddon as Westcliff and the bungalow is often referred to as Westcliff(e). In those days only fields separated it from the cliffs and sea. It was started by Seddon in 1877 and was in similar colonial style to the Westcliffe (Bungalow) Hotel built by Seddon around the same time. It was revolutionary in design, being built using prefabricated timber with an asphalt roof. As with the tower bungalows, it was large and well appointed. It was set in three quarters of an acre and consisted of six bedrooms, a lounge, library, dining room and study along with the usual domestic offices.

Rossetti had known John Seddon since the 1840s. Seddon's brother, Tom, who died in 1856, had been an early follower of the Pre- Raphaelite movement and a painter friend of Rossetti. John Seddon remained in contact with Rossetti and commissioned works from him including the triptych for Llandaff Cathedral in Wales, which Seddon was restoring. Seddon visited Rossetti in Cheyne Walk in January 1882, after Rossetti's stroke in December 1881, and offered him the use of the bungalow. Hall Caine, the young novelist who was staying with Rossetti and looking after him at the time, finally persuaded Rossetti to make the trip and they arrived on February 4th 1882. Rossetti brought with him his nurse, Mrs Abrey along with Hall Caine and Caine's twelve year old sister. Rossetti said he could see neither beauty nor comfort in the place, fussed about his room and was only mollified after setting up his easel in a room with northern light Doctors would not allow his mother to come down in the winter and he had to wait until March 2nd for her and his sister, the poet Christina Rossetti, to arrive.

Rossetti missed all his London company and Caine wrote to his friends begging them to come down and visit Rossetti. Many of his artist friends were busy on commissions, but his solicitor, Watts-Dunton visited. Ford Maddox-Brown popped down for a few days and did some drawings of Rossetti for one of his paintings whilst other visitors included Rossetti's young writer friend, William Sharp; his London physician. Doctor Marshall; the dealer, Charles Howell, who amused him; his patron, Frederick Leyland and finally the friend he most wanted to see, Frederick Shields. His brother, William, had not realised Rossetti was so ill and did not come until April 1st. He returned a week later and stayed with Rossetti until his death on Easter Sunday, April 9th. Friends and patrons came down to the funeral in Birchington and then all left the bungalow, which was renamed Rossetti Bungalow shortly afterwards. After the death of Rossetti, the bungalow was sold to the Irish millionaire, H. Osbome O'Hagan. He was described by The East Kent Times as "a legendary figure in the City" who was "behind colossal financial deals for more than half a century - from 1869 to 1924. His interests included breweries, tobacco, tramways, meat, mining and cement" Apparently he spent part of his time in Birchington, where his yacht could be seen at anchor off the coast. He died in 1930, but his daughter. Miss Agnes O'Hagan continued to live in the bungalow, which was fall of antiques, until she died in 1952.

The bungalow was then put up for auction with local estate agents. In their prospectus for it, they suggested that it "lends itself for conversion into a small cottage and bungalow if desired." The auction was conducted by Birchington's Dave Dallas who accepted a bid of £4,500 for the property from a Mr W.A. Hardy of Westgate. It was, in fact, divided into three bungalows. Following an article about its proposed demolition in 1966, a letter from a Mr A.H. Tregear of Westbrook claimed that his family were the last occupiers of one of these, having lived there from 1958 to 1961.

He described the largest bungalow as having three bedrooms, the walls of which were covered in tapestries, a very large lounge with a huge redbrick fireplace and library. The second also had three bedrooms, and a large lounge with a beautiful mosaic fireplace whilst the third, which he lived in had been the servants' quarters. Almost the whole was constructed of picturesque oak panelling and heading with parquet flooring. Mr Tregear also noted a large framed certificate in the main hall denoting that the bungalow had been used as a Red Cross Hospital in the 1914-18 war and that an air raid shelter had been constructed under the grounds to take 100 stretchers. Then, in the 1950s, numbers 1 and 2 were occupied by the C.O. and his aide from the USAF base at Manston.

All the fine workmanship and artistic associations were not enough, however, to save Rossetti Bungalow and in 1966, Margate Borough Council, despite fierce opposition from Birchington residents, agreed that it could be pulled down and the site redeveloped with seven new houses. All that is left is a small blue plaque on the wall of 2, Shakespeare Road denoting Rossetti's residence and death.