The best way of finding out about the places which inspired Elizabeth Goudge is to find a copy of Sylvia Gower’s excellent book “The World of Elizabeth Goudge”. Sadly however, the book is currently out of print. So unless you are lucky enough to find a second hand copy; I hope that these site links will give you information and the ambiance of the different parts of Britain where Elizabeth lived and worked.
This site is all about the cathedral at Wells that features so prominently in her stories based in that tiny, enchanting city and the surrounding countryside.
www.tonyhowell.co.uk/new/wells
This site is run by a local photographer, whose lovely pictures show aspects of the city of Wells and the surrounding countryside.
This site contains stunning photographs and information on the Island of Guernsey, the Channel Island home of Elizabeth’s Mother’s family. She visited the island may times in childhood to stay with her grandparents and aunts. Her first novel Island Magic is in essence, the tales and fairy stories that Elizabeth’s mother told her as a child. Other stories set here include; Green Dolphin Country and Make-Believe.
http://www.devonguide.com/torbay
An extensive site which will allow you to see both Compton (Moonacre Manor) and Berry Pomeroy Castles as well as Torbay itself.
www.university-church.ox.ac.uk
Tells us about the site of the middle years of the writers life, when she would have to oscillate between her Father in Oxford, and her Mother in Hampshire.
A wealth of information on the university and town where Canon Goudge was the Regius Professor of Divinity.
Elizabeth’s Home of homes and the inspiration for her novel “The Dean’s Watch”
http://www.chilternphoto.org.uk/introduction/photogroup/chair_bodger/index.htm
This site contains a wealth of photos and information on the area of her last home at Rose Cottage. It also includes an article about The Last Chiltern Chair Bodger!
http://www.chilternsaonb.org/ccbmaps/371/137/peppard-common.html
Elizabeth moved to Rose Cottage in the Chilterns in 1952 with her companion Jesse Munroe. This link will take you to the area and allow a glimpse of some of the places she wrote about and visited.
A link to the site of the Society on Guernsey which will enable you to see the landscape and settings of her ” Island” novels.
