LET US KNOW YOUR VIEWS ON THE FUTURE OF THE COTTAGE
In early 2024 Blake's Cottage, in the village of Felpham on the West Sussex coast, was in danger of being lost forever - the roof was on the point of collapse and the fabric was crumbling. A new board of trustees was formed and has been working hard to save the cottage. By the end of 2025 the roof was saved with new roof timbers and thatch and the late nineteenth-century extension taken back to a single storey as it was when the poet, writer, artist, printer and visionary William Blake and his wife Catherine lived there in the early nineteenth century.
It is one of the most important buildings in English literary history. William Blake lived here when he wrote the poem that provides the words for the much-loved anthem: Jerusalem.
Our plan has three stages:
FIRST replace the dilapidated thatched roof and secure the fabric of the building. Achieved!
SECOND restore the cottage and garden to what it would have been like in Blake's time and open it to the public in some form in time for William Blake's bi-centenary in 2027.
THIRD create an arts and educational centre in a new building within the grounds. It will be the only centre dedicated to the Blakes' lives, work and legacy.
The trust has already secured valuable grants and donations to pay for a new roof and continues to work hard to secure the funding to create an internationally important cultural centre to celebrate the lives and works of William and Catherine and their enduring influence. Donations from individuals, no matter how small, have been vital in getting to the point we are now, and they will be equally important in the future. Help us achieve our goal.
All donations will be put to immediate use to continue the restoration of Blake's Cottage and to realise our long-term vision. You can give by clicking on the button below or contact the Trust directly.
Thank you!