Jayembee69
George Orwell's cottage at Wallington
At the beginning of 1936, Orwell was looking for somewhere to live that was very cheap and where he could concentrate on writing his book. He heard that the lease was available on a cottage in the village of Wallington, 35 miles from London, in the Hertfordshire countryside for only 7s 6d a week. He caught a train to Baldock, walking the two or three miles to the village. The cottage was a very small sixteenth-century building with a tin roof and almost no modern facilities. Orwell took over the tenancy and moved in on 2 April 1936.
He started work on The Road to Wigan Pier by the end of April, but also spent hours working on the garden. (Roses growing there today are said to be the same ones he purchased from Woolworths in nearby Hitchin). He also opened the front room up as a village shop to supplement his income.
Orwell married Eileen O'Shaughnessy on 9 June 1936 in Wallington church. His parents in law were still trying to talk his fiance out of the marriage the night before in the Plough Inn next door. The reception was also at the Plough (now a private house).
Orwell left the cottage just before Christmas 1936 to take part in the Spanish Civil War but fled Spain in June 1937 after being wounded in the throat and also falling foul of the pro-Soviet Communist faction in Barcelona. Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War gave rise to Homage to Catalonia (1938) but also coloured his later works such as 'Animal Farm' (1945). Although not written until after he left, the farm in his book 'Animal Farm' is thought to be modelled on Manor Farm in the village.
On arrival back in England, he stayed at the O'Shaughnessy home at Greenwich and then returned to the cottage in the first week of July 1937 finding things in disarray after his absence. He acquired some animals including a goat called 'Muriel' (whose namesake features in Animal Farm), a rooster called 'Henry Ford', and a poodle puppy he called 'Marx' and settled down to write 'Homage to Catalonia'.
With the coming of the War, Orwell spent more time living in London whilst working for the BBC and he therefore sub-let the cottage. He didn't finally give up the lease until July 1947 after he had moved to Jura.
At the time of posting, the cottage was for sale at £450,000.
George Orwell's cottage at Wallington
At the beginning of 1936, Orwell was looking for somewhere to live that was very cheap and where he could concentrate on writing his book. He heard that the lease was available on a cottage in the village of Wallington, 35 miles from London, in the Hertfordshire countryside for only 7s 6d a week. He caught a train to Baldock, walking the two or three miles to the village. The cottage was a very small sixteenth-century building with a tin roof and almost no modern facilities. Orwell took over the tenancy and moved in on 2 April 1936.
He started work on The Road to Wigan Pier by the end of April, but also spent hours working on the garden. (Roses growing there today are said to be the same ones he purchased from Woolworths in nearby Hitchin). He also opened the front room up as a village shop to supplement his income.
Orwell married Eileen O'Shaughnessy on 9 June 1936 in Wallington church. His parents in law were still trying to talk his fiance out of the marriage the night before in the Plough Inn next door. The reception was also at the Plough (now a private house).
Orwell left the cottage just before Christmas 1936 to take part in the Spanish Civil War but fled Spain in June 1937 after being wounded in the throat and also falling foul of the pro-Soviet Communist faction in Barcelona. Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War gave rise to Homage to Catalonia (1938) but also coloured his later works such as 'Animal Farm' (1945). Although not written until after he left, the farm in his book 'Animal Farm' is thought to be modelled on Manor Farm in the village.
On arrival back in England, he stayed at the O'Shaughnessy home at Greenwich and then returned to the cottage in the first week of July 1937 finding things in disarray after his absence. He acquired some animals including a goat called 'Muriel' (whose namesake features in Animal Farm), a rooster called 'Henry Ford', and a poodle puppy he called 'Marx' and settled down to write 'Homage to Catalonia'.
With the coming of the War, Orwell spent more time living in London whilst working for the BBC and he therefore sub-let the cottage. He didn't finally give up the lease until July 1947 after he had moved to Jura.
At the time of posting, the cottage was for sale at £450,000.