England, Day Nine, Part Four

♫ Music ♫

Thank you for continuing along with us today.  We have time to visit one more place today.  I'm excited to visit the home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf.  They were members of the famous Bloomsbury Group.  The Bloomsbury Group included artists, writers and intellectuals that gathered in the Bloomsbury, London area during the first half of the 20th century.  The Woolf's chose Monk's House in 1919 as their home.

Monk's House is located in Rodmell in a lovely community.  Driving down the street we come to the car park in a wisteria lined wall.

We need to walk up a set of stairs to enter Monk's House.  There is the lovely garden that lured Leonard and Virginia Woolf to this property.

Monk's House is a small home in comparison to others we have visited but charming in a Bohemian way.  The weather-boarded home's history can be traced to the 16th century.  It is definitely home to artists.

We step inside as our guide allows us to enter.  We must wait our turn as they take small groups in at a time.

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” 

― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

We are reminded that Virginia Woolf and her friends enjoyed this space as they shared ideas.  Virginia wrote in this room.  Her sister, Vanessa Bell visited her at Monk's House.  Most of the home is decorated with art work from her friends in the Bloomsbury Group.

"Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.” 

― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Vanessa Bell painted the surround tiles of the fireplace for her sister in 1930.  The oval panel depicts a sailing ship with a lighthouse in the distance, recalling Woolf’s novel, ‘To the lighthouse’ (1927).

Virginia painted the interior walls herself in shades of blue, yellow, pomegranate, and in the oak-beamed sitting room, her favorite shade of green.  Here they received many visitors connected to the Bloomsbury Group, including T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster, Roger Fry and Lytton Strachey.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” 

― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Chairs by Vanessa Bell-Virginia's sister

Upper left plate by Vanessa Bell

Monk's House is quite small and only the bottom floor is open to the public.  The garden out back is next on our tour, so watch your step as we exit.

It is quite clear why Leonard and Virginia Woolf chose this spot for their home and garden.  Virginia died in 1941 and Leonard continued to live here up until his death in 1969.

Virginia Woolf was sadly known for her mood swings and deep depressions.  Sadly she committed suicide at the age of 59.  She had many things happen to her as she was growing up.  She was sexually abused at the age of six by her half brothers.  The loss of her parents at a young age sent her into deep depression that ended in a nervous breakdown.

She was happily married to Leonard and they both shared a love for each other for all of their lives.  It was bittersweet for me to visit her home.  I did come away hoping she has happy at Monk's House with her beloved Leonard.