Box of Delights: Ronald Duncan’s writing hut

Back in the mists of time (well, 2007/8), we ran a regular-ish column on Fridays called Box of Delights in which we highlighted a shedlike atmosphere that caught the staff's fancy. And the good news is, it's back! We're rebooting it with the cliff-top writing hut in which poet, novelist and playwright Ronald Duncan worked in Devon. Rather overlooked today, Duncan had an impressive roll call of friends (Mahatma Gandhi, TS Eliot, Ezra Pound, Gerald Brenan, Benjamin Britten, and Kathleen Ferrier).

He built the hut in the 1960s (it replaced a rather rickety lookout post) and although it fell into disrepair after he died in 1982, it was rebuilt and now contains his old writing desk (a door from a ship wrecked nearby) and copies of his works which can be taken by visitors (it is a popular area for walkers).

More details and photos at Angela Williams' excellent Literary Places site where she notes that the sound of the wind there is very loud indeed... --------------------------------------------------------

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