William Blake’s Cottage to Be Preserved as a Museum

Once in danger of collapsing, a historic cottage where the Romantic-era artist and writer William Blake lived is set to be restored. After years of advocacy and fundraising, the Blake Cottage Trust will begin repairs on the cottage’s heavily damaged roof. This is part of a larger plan to restore the building and open it to the public as a museum dedicated to William Blake, who is best remembered for his evocative illuminated poetry.

The William Blake cottage is located in the village of Felpham on the West Sussex coast in England. The artist and his wife, Catherine Boucher, lived at the cottage for about three years. There, Blake created some of his most notable works, including the famous English hymn Jerusalem. Originally built in the 17th century, the small Sussex cottage underwent various renovations between the 18th and 21st centuries. The Blake Cottage Trust purchased the building from a private owner in 2015. The cottage has since experienced significant disrepair—including rotting rafters, crumbling walls, and a collapsing roof.

Blake Cottage to Become an “Inspirational Center”

This week, the Blake Cottage Trust announced that it secured funding to cover the cost of repairing the thatched roof. This is the first step in a larger plan to preserve the William Blake cottage and open it to the public as a museum. Once the roof is repaired and the building safely secured, the trust plans to restore the cottage and its garden to what they were like when Blake lived there. They also aim to construct a new educational center on the grounds. The estimated cost of the entire project is about $5.2 million (£4 million).

“William Blake remains one of the most influential poets, philosophers, artists, and printers in the world. He inspires tens of thousands still,” said Doug Nicholls, chair of the Blake Cottage Trust, to The Art Newspaper. “We aim to preserve his remaining cottage in Felpham and transform it into an inspirational center that celebrates all of his art forms and thought and encourages students and artists to create more motivational work.”

Who Was William Blake?

Unpopular during his lifetime, the artist, poet, and printmaker William Blake (1757-1827) is now celebrated for his profound influence on British Romanticism. While Blake’s idiosyncratic ideas and original iconography did not always resonate with his contemporaries, his revolutionary combination of expressive prose and striking imagery—as well as his subversive spirituality—inspired countless creators in later generations. William Blake lived and worked in London his entire life, except for the three years he spent at the cottage in Felpham Village. He collaborated closely with his wife Catherine, who worked as a printmaker and colorist for several of his published works.