Where is Spade House?

Spade House is in Kent, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode CT20 3AA), in the parish of Sandgate.

How do I get to Spade House?

The nearest railway station is Folkestone West, about 1.1 km away. Drivers can use postcode CT20 3AA.

Who owns Spade House?

Spade House is owned by Privately owned.

Is Spade House a listed building?

Spade House is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.

Is Spade House a protected site?

Yes — Spade House is part of the Kent Downs National Landscape (AONB).

Is Spade House free to visit?

Yes, Spade House is free to enter.

Historic houses · South East England

Spade House

In or near Sandgate.

Free admission♿ Wheelchair: limited👪 Family-friendly

Spade House — house in Sandgate, Kent, England, UK.

Spade House, historic houses in Kent — Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit: 1 h–2 h
Nearest railway station: Folkestone West · 1.1 km

Free entry
Family-friendly
Limited wheelchair access

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit Spade House, the nearest railway station is Folkestone West, located 1.1 km away. Entry is free, but please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is CT20 3AA.

Directions on Google Maps →

Spade House is a historic house in the United Kingdom — typically a country seat, manor, or town house with notable architecture or history. Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "house in Sandgate, Kent, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0747°, 1.1525°.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2025

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Summary from the official site

Spade House features an architectural installation by artist Cristina Iglesias, which invites visitors to explore a hidden Martello tower and its surrounding wildlife. The artwork blends with the natural environment, offering a unique perspective on the historic structure and its overgrown landscape.

Read more on the official property page.

Protected designations

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Kent Downs

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Spade House, (now Wells House), is a large mansion overlooking Sandgate, near Folkestone, in southeast England. It was the home of the science fiction writer H. G. Wells from 1901 to 1909. Designed by C. F. A. Voysey, it is a Grade II* listed building.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The house was designed by C. F. A. Voysey, and extended in 1903. Voysey included a signature heart shape on the door of every home he designed, but Wells rejected this in favour of a spade. H.G. and Catherine Wells' two sons were born here, and while living at Spade House Wells wrote books including Kipps, Tono-Bungay and Ann Veronica. The house has been Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England since March 1975. It is now occupied by the "Wells House" nursing home.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates: 51.0747, 1.1525
County: Kent
District: Folkestone and Hythe
Parish: Sandgate
Postcode: CT20 3AA
Parliamentary constituency: Folkestone and Hythe
Established: 1899
Nearest railway station: Folkestone West — 1.1 km
Official site: www.creativefolkestone.org.uk

Sources

wikidata: Q7572770 (CC0)
wikipedia: Spade House (CC BY-SA 4.0)
commons: Spade House (1).jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Other places nearby

Nearby

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Public art & sculpture · South East England

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Free🐕↗ creativefolkestone.org.uk

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Castles · South East England

Sandgate Castle

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👶↗ ecastles.co.uk

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Castles · South East England

Sandgate Castle 1539

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Beaches · South East England

Sandgate Beach

Sandgate Beach — Beach (pebblestone).

Free🐕👶↗ creativefolkestone.org.uk

Sandgate village sign - geograph.org.uk - 4839247

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Memorials & monuments · South East England

Sandgate War Memorial

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Free🐕

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Public art & sculpture · South East England

Other People's Photographs Cliff Road

Other People's Photographs Cliff Road — a public art in england-south-east, United Kingdom.

Free🐕↗ creativefolkestone.org.uk

Where to eat & stay near Spade House

Places to stay

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Hotels · South East England

Best Western Plus Burlington Hotel

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Hotels · South East England

10 to 12

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Hostels · South East England

Cherry Garden B&B

Cherry Garden B&B — a hostel in england south east.

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Hotels · South East England

Grand Burstin Hotel

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Campsites · South East England

Little Switzerland

Little Switzerland — a campsite in england south east.

↗ caravancampingsites.co.uk

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Campsites · South East England

Folkstone Camping and Caravan Club Site

Folkstone Camping and Caravan Club Site — a campsite in england south east.

Free↗ campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk