England, forårstur 2015 ... Part 6

VIRTUEL HAVEREJSE

Monk's House

Efter besøget i Sheffield Park kørte vi videre til Virginia Woolf's landsted "Monk's House", som ligger langt ude på landet i en lille bitte flække nær Lewes.

Forfatteren Virginia Woolf købte huset sammen med sin mand Leonard Woolf i 1919 og boede her i lange perioder af sit liv. Hun skrev mange af sine romaner i den lille træhytte nederst i haven, hvor der nu er lavet et lille ekstra rum som museum med billeder og avisartikler fra parrets liv i Monk's House.

 Der er en skøn have, opdelt i haverum og en frugthave med de smukkeste blomstrende træer.

Det var meget stemningsfyldt at gå rundt i haven og tænke på at haven nu fremstår i samme stil og stand som dengang Virginia Woolf boede her.

 Buste af Virginia Woolf i haven.

Hytten nederst i haven, hvor hun skrev sine romaner.

Det berømte kig ud over det omgivende landskab.

Huset fremstår nøjagtigt som dengang Virginia og Leonard Woolf boede her.
Det var som at komme tilbage i en tidslomme - meget stemningsfyldt.

Teksten herunder er fra Wikipedia, hvis I har lyst til at læse lidt mere om stedet.

Life at Monk's House[

During the Woolfs’ early years at Rodmell, Monk's House was of modest dimensions with three-quarters of an acre of garden including an orchard and a number of outbuildings. Conditions were primitive and over the years the Woolfs made many alterations and additions, including: improvements to the kitchen; the installation of a hot water range and bathroom with water closet; and a two-storey extension in 1929. In 1928 they bought an adjoining field to preserve the beautiful views from the garden towards Mount Caburn.

The Woolfs spent more and more time in Rodmell, eventually living there full-time from 1940 when their flat in Mecklenburgh Square, Bloomsbury, London, was damaged during an air raid. The solitude of village life allowed Virginia respite from the tumult of London, and it was in the small wooden lodge at the bottom of the garden that many of her novels took shape. Jacob's Room, published in 1922, Mrs Dalloway (1925), To The Lighthouse (1927), Orlando (1928), The Waves (1931), The Years (1937) and Between The Acts (1941), as well as other works, were also written there. Her final novel, Between the Acts, published posthumously in July 1941, is steeped in references to Rodmell and the traditions and values of its villagers.

Virginia documented her life at the house in photographs. Preserved in the Monk's House Albums, these include portraits and group pictures of many who visited the house.

In March 1941, Virginia committed suicide by drowning herself in the nearby River Ouse. Leonard continued to live at Monk's House until his death in 1969, and played an active role in village life. Both he and Virginia had been members of the Socialist Party, and he became a manager of the village school in Rodmell in the 1930s. He was also treasurer and president of the Rodmell and District Horticultural Society.

Hvis I har lyst til at læse mere om haven ved Monk's House, kan denne bog klart anbefales. Den er skrevet af Caroline Zoob, som boede med sin mand på stedet i 10 år og arbejdede med at bringe haven tilbage til det, den var da Virginia Woolf boede her.

FAKTA

Monk's House
Rodmell, Lewes
East Sussex BN7 3HF

Læs evt. mere om stedet på National Trusts side.

Dette indlæg er en del af min virtuelle rejse rundt i Sydengland. Rejsen foregik i første halvdel af maj måned 2015
og har du ikke læst med fra starten 
af denne virtuelle rejse-beskrivelse, kan du klikke her,  hvis du gerne vil følge med på hele turen.

Det ville glæde mig at have dig med :)