From the grey rocks of Kilve beach, we made our way to Nether Stowey nearby, as we wanted to visit the cottage where poet Coleridge lived. Last time we were there it was closed. This day I made sure we visited when it was open.
Coleridge is someone I know a very little about, although the last time we were in Hay-on-Wye I bought a couple of biographies of him, which I will eventually read. The cottage is under the control of the National Trust now, and they have done a wonderful job of making it feel very homely, and I just loved the extracts painted across the walls. I think this was the front parlour - the first room you entered anyway.
My husband has a passion for old Windsor chairs and he fell in love with this one.
This looks so down to earth.
I took a photo of the baby's crib because of the beautiful paisley quilt, which had been embroidered around the paisley pattern - a lovely idea which I may copy. This looks SUCH early paisley too. Note the little mouse - I think they had a problem with the mice in the cottage - they appear all round the house!
Their bedroom, with a bonnet and gown you could put on.
T trying her hand with a quill. I was useless . . .
Sorry about the flash, but this was S T Coleridge in his heyday. I think he was probably a pain in the backside to live with, well, I KNOW he was from the little I have read about him. My friend Ann has loaned me a book about him, "Bondage of Opium" which just about summed him up. He was a lousy husband too . . . HERE is the Wikipedia item about him. My poor brain had less than 4 hours' sleep again last night (yet another course of Steroids because Asthma badly affected by very high pollen count - it's like pea soup in our garden!) so this is far more erudite than I can manage. HERE is a more personal account from Margaret Keeping's wonderful Edward Thomas blog, detailing how Coleridge treated his wife (e.g. NOT well!) He made ET look a positive saint in that department . . .
