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Places with literary connections

A mother and child read a book with a volunteer at Max Gate, Dorset
Visitors at Hardy's House, Max Gate in Dorset | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Generations of writers, playwrights and poets found inspiration in the places where they lived and worked, from houses to gardens and landscapes. We now care for many of these places so you can discover the inspiration behind the words for yourself.

Bateman’s, East Sussex
Set within the Sussex Weald, Bateman's provided a sanctuary for Rudyard Kipling. He took inspiration for Puck of Pook's Hill from the hill behind this 17th-century house. Look out for his book-lined study, displayed just as he left it, along with various Persian rugs and artefacts that reflect Kipling's strong ties with India.Explore Bateman's
Clouds Hill, Dorset
'I've a hut in a wood near camp wherein I spend my spare evenings,' is how author T. E. Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, described his home, Clouds Hill. You can now visit this tiny, isolated cottage with rooms furnished much as he left them, giving an insight into the complex personality of the writer and friend of Thomas Hardy.Explore Clouds Hill
Coleridge Cottage, Somerset
Once home to poet Samuel Coleridge, this 17th-century cottage was where he wrote some of his finest works, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Frost at Midnight, The Nightingale, Christabel and This Lime Tree Bower my Prison.Explore Coleridge Cottage
Gray's Monument, Buckinghamshire
Standing near St Giles’ Church in Stoke Poges, this monument marks poet Thomas Gray’s long association with the village. Pause to take in the monument before discovering the landscape that inspired Gray to write his famous poem, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.Explore Gray's Monument
Two visitors have a go at writing with a quill and ink in the Interpretation Room at Coleridge Cottage, Somerset
Visitors have a go at writing with a quill and ink in the Interpretation Room at Coleridge Cottage, Somerset | © National Trust Images/Sophie Bolesworth
Greenway, Devon
Discover the scene of the crime from Agatha Christie's novel, Dead Man's Folly, at Greenway. Christie's beloved holiday home not only inspired her work, but housed her large collection of weird and wonderful artefacts – keep an eye out for a skull-shaped jar – and a Second World War frieze in the library.Explore Greenway
Hardy’s Cottage, Dorset
This evocative cob and thatch cottage is where Thomas Hardy was born. He wrote Under the Greenwood Tree and Far From the Madding Crowd while living here. Explore the house and then discover nearby Max Gate, a red-brick villa designed by Hardy himself and his home for more than 70 years.Explore Hardy's Cottage
Hardy's House, Max Gate, Dorset
Max Gate was the home of Dorset's most famous author and poet, Thomas Hardy. It was there that he wrote some of his most famous novels, including Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure, as well as much of his poetry.Explore Hardy's House, Max Gate
Hill Top, Cumbria
Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top with the royalties earned from her first book, Peter Rabbit. The garden and surrounding countryside inspired many of her works – spot the beehive nestled in the garden wall, just as it was depicted in The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.Explore Hill Top
Lamb House, East Sussex
Lamb House is red-brick Georgian home with connections to some of the greatest writers of the 20th century. It was home to Henry James, E.F. Benson and Rumer Godden, while notable visitors include H.G. Wells, Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling.Explore Lamb House
The entrance hall at Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter, in Cumbria
The entrance hall at Hill Top, home of Beatrix Potter, in Cumbria | © National Trust Images/James Dobson
Monk’s House, East Sussex
Virginia Woolf purchased Monk’s House with her husband Leonard in 1919, at the start of her career as a published author. Visit this intimate home that's full of their favourite things and discover Woolf's writing lodge in the garden.Explore Monk's House
Shaw’s Corner, Hertfordshire
Playwright George Bernard Shaw left his treasured home of 44 years in our care upon his death. See the house largely as Shaw left it, with its Arts and Crafts interiors, and visit his writing hut, tucked away at the bottom of the garden.Explore Shaw's Corner
Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant, Conwy
Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant was the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, the first person to translate the entire Bible into Welsh. In Tudor Britain, Morgan's work gave the Welsh people easy access to biblical teachings and created a standard version of written Welsh for the first time.Explore Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant
Wordsworth House, Cumbria
William Wordsworth, a famous poet of the Romantic age, was born in this Georgian townhouse. The home and gardens are presented as they would have been in the 1770s, so you can experience them as Wordsworth would have done in his childhood.Explore Wordsworth House
A family in the garden in spring surrounded by daffodils at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire

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