Blake's Cottage

Last updated

Blake's Cottage
William Blake House in Felpham.JPG
"Away to sweet Felpham for heaven is there"
TypeHouse
Location Felpham, West Sussex
Coordinates 50°47′19″N0°39′09″W / 50.7887°N 0.6524°W / 50.7887; -0.6524 Coordinates: 50°47′19″N0°39′09″W / 50.7887°N 0.6524°W / 50.7887; -0.6524
Architectural style(s) Vernacular
Governing bodyPrivately owned
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameBlake's Cottage
Designated22 July 1949
Reference no.1353792
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameRoadside Garden Wall with Archway Linking It to Blakes Cottage
Designated23 July 1998
Reference no.1375729
West Sussex UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Blake's Cottage in West Sussex

Blake's Cottage stands in the village of Felpham, West Sussex. The house dates from the 17th century. Its name commemorates the occupancy of the poet William Blake, who lived in the cottage from 1800 to 1803. During his time at the house, Blake wrote the verses "And did those feet in ancient time", the preface to his Milton: A Poem in Two Books , which were later set to music as the hymn "Jerusalem". The cottage, now owned by a trust, is a Grade II* listed building.

Contents

History and description

William Hayley, poet and biographer of his friend William Cowper, began the construction of a house, called The Turret, at Felpham in 1798. In 1800, he invited William Blake, and his wife Catherine, to the village to illustrate his own works. [1] Blake remained at Felpham for three years, residing at his "cot" south of the village church. During his residence Blake wrote much of Milton: A Poem in Two Books , the preface of which was subsequently adapted into the hymn "Jerusalem". [2] The cottage is now managed by the Blake's Cottage Trust [3] which bought the building in 2015. [4] The trust has sought to raise funds to undertake restoration of the cottage [5] but this has proved challenging. [6] In 2017 the trust appointed architects to undertake reconstruction and redevelopment [7] though their plans have generated some local opposition. [8] [9] In November 2021 concerns regarding the fabric of the building saw the cottage being placed on the 2021 Heritage at Risk Register. [10] The trust aims to complete renovation of the cottage by 2027, the bicentenary of Blake's death. [11]

The original cottage dates from the 17th century. [1] It is of two storeys and is constructed of cob, flint and brick with a thatched roof. It is a Grade II* listed building. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And did those feet in ancient time</span> 1808 William Blake poem and popular hymn

"And did those feet in ancient time" is a poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton: A Poem in Two Books, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Books. The date of 1804 on the title page is probably when the plates were begun, but the poem was printed c. 1808. Today it is best known as the hymn "Jerusalem", with music written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916. The famous orchestration was written by Sir Edward Elgar. It is not to be confused with another poem, much longer and larger in scope and also by Blake, called Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Blake</span> English poet and artist (1757–1827)

William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. What he called his "prophetic works" were said by 20th-century critic Northrop Frye to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language". His visual artistry led 21st-century critic Jonathan Jones to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". In 2002, Blake was placed at number 38 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. While he lived in London his entire life, except for three years spent in Felpham, he produced a diverse and symbolically rich collection of works, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God" or "human existence itself".

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1800.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Hayley</span> 18th/19th-century English biographer

William Hayley was an English writer, best known as the biographer of his friend William Cowper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfriston Clergy House</span> Wealden hall house in Alfriston, East Sussex, England

Alfriston Clergy House in Alfriston, Polegate, East Sussex, England, was the first built property to be acquired by the National Trust. It was purchased in 1896 for £10. The house lies adjacent to the Church of St. Andrew. It is a Grade II* listed building. The house is open to the public.

The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then makes them available for holiday rental. The Trust's headquarters is at Shottesbrooke in Berkshire.

<i>Milton: A Poem in Two Books</i> Poem by William Blake

Milton is an epic poem by William Blake, written and illustrated between 1804 and 1810. Its hero is John Milton, who returns from Heaven and unites with Blake to explore the relationship between living writers and their predecessors, and to undergo a mystical journey to correct his own spiritual errors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felpham</span> Suburb of Bognor Regis, England

Felpham is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Although sometimes considered part of the urban area of greater Bognor Regis, it is a village and civil parish in its own right, having an area of 4.26 km2 with a population of 9,611 people that is still growing. The population at the 2011 Census was 9,746.

<i>Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion</i> Poem by William Blake

Jerusalem, subtitled The Emanation of the Giant Albion, is a prophetic book by English poet William Blake. Jerusalem is the last, longest and greatest in scope of Blake's works. Etched in handwriting, accompanied by small sketches, marginal figures and huge full-plate illustrations, it has been described as "visionary theatre". The poet himself believed it was his masterpiece and it has been said that "of all Blake's illuminated epics, this is by far the most public and accessible". Nonetheless, only six copies were printed in Blake's lifetime and the book, like all of Blake's prophetic works, was all but ignored by his contemporaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edensor</span> Human settlement in England

Edensor is a village and civil parish in Derbyshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 145.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleton-on-Sea</span> Village in West Sussex, England

Middleton-on-Sea is a village, civil parish and an electoral ward in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, lying to the east of Bognor Regis and neighbouring Felpham. The parish also contains the settlements of Elmer and Ancton. The southern half is urban and the northern rural.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dove Cottage</span>

Dove Cottage is a house on the edge of Grasmere in the Lake District of England. It is best known as the home of the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth from December 1799 to May 1808, where they spent over eight years of "plain living, but high thinking". During this period, William wrote much of the poetry for which he is remembered today, including his "Ode: Intimations of Immortality", "Ode to Duty", "My Heart Leaps Up" and "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", together with parts of his autobiographical epic, The Prelude.

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calverley Old Hall</span> Manor house in West Yorkshire, England

Calverley Old Hall is a medieval manor house with Grade I listed building status situated at Calverley, West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tisman's Common</span> Hamlet in southern England

Tisman's Common is a hamlet in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It stands in the parish of Rudgwick, on the Rudgwick to Loxwood road, 6.4 miles (10.2 km) west of Horsham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windlestone Hall</span> Building in England, UK

Windlestone Hall is a mid-16th century Elizabethan country house, heavily rebuilt in 1821 to form a Greek revival stately home, situated near Rushyford, County Durham, England. It is a Grade II* Listed building. As of 2022 it is back in private family ownership, with the surrounding estate maintained and conserved by a dedicated heritage charitable trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowper and Newton Museum</span> Museum in Olney, Buckinghamshire

The Cowper and Newton Museum is a museum in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, in the City of Milton Keynes. Celebrating the work and lives of two famous local residents: William Cowper (1731–1800), a celebrated 18th-century poet; and John Newton (1725–1807), a prominent slave trader who was curate in the local church. Together, Cowper and Newton wrote the Olney Hymns, including one of the world's most popular hymns, "Amazing Grace".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notebook of William Blake</span> Manuscript

The Notebook of William Blake was used by William Blake as a commonplace book from c. 1787 to 1818.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandycombe Lodge</span> Historic site in Twickenham , London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Sandycombe Lodge is a Grade II* listed house at 40 Sandycoombe Road, Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. In the picturesque-cottage style, it was designed and built in 1813 by the artist J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) as his country retreat and as a home for his father William (1745–1829). Turner lived there from 1814 to 1826. Originally known as Solus Lodge, it is the only surviving building designed by Turner, and shows the influence of his friend Sir John Soane. The appearance of the house had been much altered by the addition of second floors to the original side wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3, The Grove, Highgate</span> Grade II* listed house in the London Borough of Camden, United Kingdom

3, The Grove, Highgate, in the London Borough of Camden, is a 17th-century house built by William Blake. In the 19th century it was home of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge; in the 20th, the novelist J. B. Priestley; and in the 21st, the model Kate Moss. It is a Grade II* listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 Williamson et al. 2019, pp. 377–378.
  2. Whittaker, Jason (26 December 2019). "Almost everything you know about the hymn Jerusalem is wrong". Prospect Magazine.
  3. "The Blake Cottage Trust – Charity 1160716". Charity Commission. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  4. Cripps, Charlotte (18 July 2014). "William Blake's cottage for sale". The Independent.
  5. "Blake's Cottage – If a thing loves it is infinite". Blake Cottage Trust. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  6. Brooks, Richard (25 August 2019). "The future looks bleak for the restoration of William Blake's cottage". The Guardian.
  7. "Blake's Cottage". Mica Architects. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  8. "New concerns over cottage". Bognor Regis Post. 20 February 2018.
  9. "Save Blake's Cottage". 38 Degrees. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  10. Sherwood, Harriet (4 November 2021). "William Blake Cottage at risk of being lost". The Guardian.
  11. Fuller, Christian (4 November 2021). "Poet William Blake's Jerusalem cottage among sites at risk of being lost forever". The Brighton Argus.
  12. Historic England. "Blake's Cottage (Grade II*) (1353792)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 November 2021.

Sources