Fundraisers Celebrate Major Step Forward in Development of William Blake’s Cottage

Plans to save the cottage where writer and artist William Blake wrote the words of the hymn Jerusalem and turn it into a new centre celebrating his life and work are moving ahead following major grant awards.

The cottage in the village of Felpham in West Sussex, England, dates back to the 17th century. It requires major renovation after decades of neglect and the latest funding via World Monuments Fund Britain, Foyle Foundation, and Foulerton Charitable Trust of £55,000 ($72,000) will initially help to repair the dilapidated thatched roof.

Moving forward, The Blake Cottage Trust charity will continue secure the fabric of the building and aims to restore the cottage and garden to what it would have been like in Blake's time.
 “We will have the cottage protected and restored by 2027 the bi-centenary of Blake’s death,” said Doug Nicholls, chair of the trust which bought the building from private owners in 2015. The ultimate goal is to create an arts and educational centre and a working print studio in a new building within the grounds. The total cost is estimated at £4m.

Blake and his wife Catherine lived in the cottage which is now a Grade II listed building for three years between 1800 and 1803. During their residence, William worked on his Milton: A Poem in Two Books, the preface of which contains the poem And did those feet in ancient time which was set to music by Hubert Parry in 1916 and has since become the popular English anthem Jerusalem. The cottage is depicted in the illustrations for the book.

Earlier this year The Blake Cottage Trust announced Bruce Dickinson, frontman of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden and a lifelong fan of Blake's work, would become its patron and help with fundraising.