Clouds Hill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 History
2 Sleeping bags
3 Address
4 Notes
5 External links

Clouds Hill is an isolated cottage in the county of Dorset in South West England. It is the former home of T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") and is now run as a museum by the National Trust.

[edit] History

Lawrence first rented the cottage in 1923 while stationed at Bovington Camp with the Tank Corps, and he purchased it in 1925.

"Nothing in Clouds Hill is to be a care upon the world. While I have it there shall be nothing exquisite or unique in it. Nothing to anchor me." T.E. Lawrence

In 1935, he left the RAF and returned to Clouds Hill. While living here, he suffered severe head injuries in a motor-cycle accident and died in hospital.

After Lawrence's death, his heir, his brother Prof. A.W. Lawrence gave Clouds Hill to the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. It is now a museum, devoted to Lawrence.

The cottage remains largely as Lawrence left it at his death. It features an exhibition detailing Lawrence's extraordinary life, and most of his original furniture and possessions. The cottage reflects his complex personality and close links to the Middle East.

It is open to visitors from the end of March to the beginning of October, Thursday – Sunday.

[edit] Sleeping bags

Lawrence reserved a sleeping bag for guests and visitors who stayed overnight. In 1965 it was stolen. The bag's disappearance coincided with the release of Lawrence of Arabia, the film which popularized his story with new generations of moviegoers. It was thought the theft could have been inspired by the publicity and excitement generated by the film.

"The sleeping bag that served as a guest bed to some of the 20th century's most distinguished authors at TE Lawrence's weekend retreat has been returned 36 years after it was stolen. National Trust custodians of Clouds Hill, the author's cottage in Dorset, were amazed when a weather-beaten package from Belgium arrived containing the sleeping bag, along with a sheepish note that read: 'This is yours'. The bag embroidered with the word 'tuum', was provided for guests at the cottage, while Lawrence slept on the floor in the other sleeping bag, marked 'meum'. According to Jeremy Wilson, Lawrence's biographer, tuum's occupants included George Bernard Shaw, E. M. Forster and Robert Graves." ^[1]