The 400-year-old floors perfectly preserved in the house that inspired Charles Dickens to create Miss Havisham's mansion

Robert Tucker and Jonathan Wilmot stand on the hall dais of Restoration House and admire the elm boards of the floor. The massive proportions of the boards — which measure 11 inches (27.5cm) across and nearly two inches (5cm) thick — suggest that they were cut and laid in the 1630s when this room was created.

This extraordinary building — which we wrote about in Country Life last year — is a place full of interest, from its royal past (Charles II stayed regularly) to its starring role in one of Charles Dickens's most celebrated novels. Restoration House was the inspiration for Satis House in Great Expectations, the eerie building in which Miss Havisham lives and, unforgettably, dies.

If you're wondering why Dickens wouldn't have mentioned a floor as extraordinary as this one, there is a simple reason: in the 19th century it was covered over completely.

But the novelist's loss was our gain: as a result of its covering, the boards have never been stained, varnished or painted, but have only been maintained by washing and scrubbing with sand. The treatment has brought out the natural texture and colour of the timber.

‘When we washed the re-exposed floor for the first time,’ explains Mr Tucker ‘the light in the room dramatically changed and we began to understand how the limewashed walls and ceiling were reflected by the silver grey of the elm wood.

'Many people have commented on the “Vermeer light” in this room and we now know how this was achieved and why.

'Given that this is the first room visitors enter, the dais sets the tone for the rest of the house.’

The floor is one of many historic features — including original painting and marbling schemes — that have been revealed during the long-running and meticulous revival of this remarkable building and its garden. You can read the full piece about Restoration House here.