Partner Property
Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust: Find out more about Pope’s Grotto, or visit their website.
About the talk
More images were created of the exterior of Alexander Pope’s Thameside villa than of any other private residence in the eighteenth century. After his death, his home and garden attracted so many visitors that a later owner razed the villa to the ground in order to preserve her privacy. This talk considers what the villa meant to Pope himself and attempts to recreate what it might have been like for him to live and work there, surrounded by reminders of his friendships and cultural influences.
About the speaker
Judith Hawley is Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature in the Department of English, Royal Holloway, University of London and frequently appears on BBC radio and TV. She is a Trustee of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust. Her research interests range from gin to Grub Street and she has a particular interest in the history of the amateur performance.