Stepping into the historic homes of literary maestros is like opening a time capsule, transporting us to the very spaces where imagination found its sanctuary, where the echoes of pen scratching on paper can almost still be heard
We’re fortunate to be able to visit the places where those literary greats wrote their great works on our coach holidays; from the windswept moors of the Brontë sisters and the poetic retreats of Byron and Wordsworth, to the charming rustic world of James Herriot.
Here are just some of the places open to the public, which offer tales of inspiration, creativity, and a profound connection to the landscapes that shaped their literary masterpieces:
RUDYARD KIPLING
Rudyard Kipling bought Batemans, a Jacobean manor house, in 1902 and lived there until his death in 1936. Today it is owned by the National Trust, but the house retains many treasures connected to Kipling, and his study remains just as he left it (pictured above). We were lucky enough to visit one year at Christmas, and each room had decorations designed to illustrate Kipling’s Just So Stories
AGATHA CHRISTIE
Although it is difficult to access via coach, Greenway is well known as the home of Agatha Christie. Situated just up the river from Dartmouth, the easiest way to visit is via boat - in fact the boat house features in some of her novels! A fascinating glimpse into the life of Britain’s best crime writer
THE BRONTE SISTERS
Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte have written some of the greatest novels of English Literature, including Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Jane Eyre. Their home in Haworth is now a museum and contains a wide range of Bronte artifacts and manuscripts, and tours can be taken around the village to find out more about their home
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
The Lake District is the location for two homes belonging to William Wordsworth. Dove Cottage is perhaps the most famous, and was his residence when he wrote his most famous poem, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (aka Daffodils). However, just a short drive away is Rydal Mount, which is where the Wordsworth family moved to as their family grew over the years. Rydal Mount is still owned by the Wordsworth family today
LORD BYRON
Newstead Abbey was the ancestral home of the Byron family, and its most famous resident was the romantic poet Lord Byron, who wrote She Walks in Beauty, and was described by his mistress as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’. Byron only lived at Newstead for six years before selling it and moving to Italy
JAMES HERRIOTT
James Herriott was the pen name of veterinary surgeon James Alfred Wright, who wrote eight books about his work, set in the 1930s-1950s Yorkshire Dales. Today his former home and veterinary surgery is a museum and visitor attraction including props from the 1970s tv series based on his works
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
No less than six houses in Stratford-upon Avon have links with the playwright, including Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Mary Arden’s House, Hall’s Croft, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Nash’s House and Hall Place. He is buried in the nearby Holy Trinity Church