Cottages for Literary Enthusiasts

Are you a literary buff searching for a holiday cottage to rent with a literary connection?  Whether you’re a fan of the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy or another well known British author, Country Cottages Online can help you find some of the best cottages for literary holidays in the UK, ideal for budding readers and fans of certain authors.

Book a holiday cottage in one of these areas with literary associations and you can follow in your favourite author’s footsteps, discover landscapes that inspired them and get inspired yourself.  For a fascinating holiday to remember, few things compare.

Best Cottages for Literary Holidays

Bronte Country

Are you a fan of the works of the Bronte sisters?  Whether you love the romance and drama of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre or Emily Bronte’s bewitching Wuthering Heights, visit Bronte Country to find out more about the short lives of these hugely talented sisters who lived around the village of Haworth in the 1800s.  The landscape around the south Pennines hills west of Bradford is also associated with the authors.
 

Cottages in Bronte Country

Hardy Country

Any fans of Tess of the d’Urbervilles or Far from the Madding Crowd will know of Thomas Hardy and ‘Wessex’ with its heathlands, meadows, farms and hamlets.  Although he wrote in Victorian times, many of the themes of Hardy’s novels such as love, betrayal and secrets transcend times.

Hardy’s novels often focused on characters in rural places and were often set in the fictional county of Wessex.   It is Dorset though where Hardy lived for most of his life which is credited by many as inspiring Thomas Hardy’s Wessex.  Discover the landscapes in and around Dorchester which are said to have inspired his writing and imagination.  

Holiday Cottages in Hardy's Country

Roald Dahl's Haunts

Did you grow up loving Roald Dahl’s stories as a child?  With brilliant books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the BFG and Matilda, Roald Dahl has ignited the imagination for many.  If you are a fan of the author’s works, you may want to follow in some of his footsteps and visit where the author lived.  

Although Roald Dahl lived in various parts of the UK during his life, as an adult, Roald Dahl lived at Gipsy House in Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire for 36 years (so for a large part of his life).  Unfortunately, Gipsy House itself is now privately owned and not open to the public.  Still, you can visit the charming town of Great Missenden where Roald Dahl lived, to follow in his footsteps and there is a museum in the High Street in the village dedicated to the author and his stories; The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.  The museum is aimed at families in particular, and has child-centric displays to inspire and excite younger visitors.

Roald Dahl was said to be a strong lover of the countryside, and Great Missenden lies within the scenic Chiltern Hills AONB.  Enjoy walking in the Chiltern Hills and discover some of the landscapes that Roald Dahl loved and appreciated.

Search Cottages in the Chiltern Hills

Shakespeare’s Country

Probably Britain’s best known playwright and poet, the works of Shakespeare are renowned.  Whether you’ve read all the books, you’re certain to have seen some of the plays or films made from his works.  Some are fans of the romance of Romeo and Juliet whereas others are fans of the drama of Hamlet, Julius Caesar or Macbeth.

Shakespeare’s Country centres around the rather beautiful town of Stratford Upon Avon where there are various Shakespeare related attractions and links to the William Shakespeare.

Fans of Shakespeare can visit a number of Shakespearean related sights in Warwickshire, including Anne Hathaway's cottage; an idyllic thatched house where William Shakespeare's wife Anne grew up.

Holiday Rentals in Shakespeare’s Country

Occasionally it is possible to find a holiday home to rent where an author has actually stayed in or nearby the property in the past.  More usual though is to find a holiday home in a certain area or region with literary associations.  For example, the Bronte sisters are associated with the south Pennine hills and an area around the village of Haworth and this area is known as called Bronte Country, Thomas Hardy is associated with Hardy country and.the Dorset hills and so on and so forth.