Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg is auctioning one of his guitars to fund the restoration of poet William Blake’s historic West Sussex cottage, where Blake wrote the iconic Jerusalem.
The Grade II-listed cottage in Felpham urgently requires £175,000 for a new thatched roof and structural repairs, according to the Blake Cottage Trust. The trustees aim to raise £3 million overall to restore the property, rejuvenate its gardens, and establish an educational center dedicated to Blake’s legacy in writing, printing, and engraving.
Bragg called the cottage “one of the most important buildings in English literary history.” Blake resided there from 1800 to 1803, during which he penned the poem that inspired the hymn Jerusalem. Composer Hubert Parry set Blake’s words to music in 1916, decades after Blake’s death in 1827.
Bragg, who has long admired Blake, recorded a version of Jerusalem in 2006 and released the album William Bloke in 1996.
Doug Nicholls, chairman of the Blake Cottage Trust, expressed gratitude for Bragg’s support. “It was a fantastic surprise when Billy offered to auction a guitar for our cause,” he said. “Many entertainers are aware of our work and eager to support it. This is an absolutely brilliant gesture.”
The cottage, purchased by the Blake Society in 2015 and placed in trust, has been on English Heritage’s at-risk register since 2021. Nicholls emphasized the cultural significance of preserving the site. “Blake, one of the most impactful figures in our cultural tradition, doesn’t have any of his residences preserved. This cottage was a particularly creative space where he wrote Jerusalem,” he said.
Bragg is auctioning an Epiphone 2016 Olympic Masterbilt Archtop semi-acoustic guitar, which he used extensively during his Shine A Light tour with American singer-songwriter Joe Henry in 2016 and 2017.
The winning bidder will collect the guitar in person from Bragg in Dorchester, Dorset, according to the eBay auction page.
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