Milton’s Cottage
Chalfont St Giles, one of a group of villages known as ‘The Chalfonts’, is a lovely village on the edge of the Chiltern Hills. During the Plague in 1665, John Milton left London and retired to Chalfont St Giles where he completed his epic poem, ‘Paradise Lost’. Built in the late 16th century for the estate manager of The Vache (a nearby country house once owned by George Fleetwood, one of the people who signed the death warrant of Charles I), the cottage still stands and is open to the public.
Grade 1 listed, the building is the only surviving building Milton lived in and the museum is presented in four rooms on the ground floor. Milton’s Quaker friend and former pupil, Thomas Ellwood, found him ‘that pretty box in St Giles Chalfonte’ as a place to escape the plague and rented it on his behalf. Although blind, Milton was able to complete ‘Paradise Lost’ whilst living here and was inspired to write ‘Paradise Regained’.
Small it might be, but there is so much to see here. As you pass through into the first room, make sure you notice the ‘witch marks’ on the mantel over the fireplace, added to prevent witches coming down the chimney, and a copy of the death warrant of Charles I, bearing the signature of George Fleetwood, aged just 21, amongst the other regicides.
In the study where Milton completed his masterpiece, there is an incredible collection of his work with many first editions. Milton introduced some 630 words to the English language, more than Shakespeare (229), including fragrance, didactic and love-lorn!
Behind the cottage is a beautiful cottage garden, full of the trees, flowers and fruits referenced in his poetry. It is easy to while the time away, enjoying the atmosphere of both house and garden, imagining a blind Milton dictating this work which influenced many, including Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), William Blake and Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials).
There is a free car park behind the property which is easily found if driving. Visitors might recognise the village of Chalfont St Giles as Walmington-on-Sea in the 1971 film version of ‘Dad’s Army’ and the nearby Chiltern Open Air Museum is well worth a visit.
I haven’t read Milton since studying ‘Paradise Lost’ at A-level , but the museum inspired me to re-visit his work with renewed enthusiasm!
Milton’s Cottage,
21 Deanway,
Chalfont Saint Giles HP8 4JH