The Blake Cottage Trust

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Latest Blake Cottage News

Wednesday 17th December

Another momentous day at Blake Cottage. The rafters and structure for the new roof in the East extension are in place. Once the work is completed and thatched the cottage will have returned to form in which William and Catherine Blake knew it in the early nineteenth century!

Saturday 13th December

A very exciting day in Felpham. The Blake Cottage Trust's international patron, Bruce Dickinson, lead singer with Iron Maiden, visited the cottage to see the new thatched roof and the progress of the restoration work. He spent several hours at the cottage and in the village learning about the building's history and the archeological work being done to establish how the cottage was in the Blakes' day. He also had lots of very creative ideas about how to promote the cottage project and raise funds to ensure our ambitions can be achieved. The BBC was there to cover his visit and they interviewed Bruce about his impressions.

Bruce Dickinson on his visit to Blake Cottage

Friday 9th December

Tom Ball, our ambassador from Felpham has been picking up the craft tools today. Here he is wielding the draw knife used to strip the bark from the recently cut poles which will form the rafters in the reconstruction of the single storey East extension.

Tuesday 9th December

Doug Nicholls, the Trust's chair, roped into stripping the bark from timbers to be used in the construction of the new roof to the single storey East extension. Under close supervision by master craftsman, Joe Thompson. The work to build the new roof should be completed next week and new thatch in place early in the New Year. Only then will the exterior fabric of the cottage be in a form that William and Catherine Blake would recognise.

Friday 5th December

5 school choirs, bell ringers and several hundred adults, young people and children packed inside St Mary's church Felpham for a Christmas carol service, illuminating the Christmas lights and a church blessing. The trust had arranged for Blake's Felpham angel to be projected onto the church but because of the storm outside the angel was brought inside and watched over proceedings under cover!

Wednesday 3rd December

A great visit to the cottage today by our ambassador Jan Woolf and acclaimed Hastings based artist and writer Roeloff Bakker. Our ambassador and heritage building expert Nick Tyson was on hand to give an in depth tour.

Tuesday 2nd December

Former English lecturer, comedian and poetry podcast presenter Frank Skinner visited today along with Blake Society Treasurer Robert Burston.

Tuesday 30th September 2025

The scaffolding that has been up all summer to facilitate the roof repair has been removed... revealing the beautiful new thatched roof on Blake's Cottage. Our deepest thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, the World Monuments Fund, the Archtiectural Heritage Fund, the Foyle Foundation, the Foulerton Charitable Trust, the Sylvia Waddilove Foundation, Dr Keri Davies and the many other individual donors who have made this possible.

Tuesday 16th September 2025

Our first Heritage Open Day... and the lucky visitors were shown the recently completed roof renovations and some of the exciting archeological findings by our ambassador and heritage building expert, Nick Tyson.

Tuesday 8th September 2025

Finishing touches.

Monday 8th September 2025

Arun District Council have today acknowledged the Trust’s application to restore the eastern wing of the cottage to the single storey it was in Blake’s day.

Interested and engaged receptions at Bognor Regis Town Council and Bognor Regis History Society this evening.