Essex Wildlife Trust has been gifted Bottengoms, the 15th century country estate of renowned nature writer, Ronald Blythe.
Known for his 1969 book Akenfield, an account of village life in Suffolk, Blythe died aged 100 in 2023. He was appointed CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2017 for services to literature. With over 80 books to his name, Blythe is considered an icon for nature writers today.
Bottengoms, once home to artists John and Christine Nash before Blythe inherited it in 1977, will be transformed into a sanctuary for people and wildlife, blending nature conservation with artistic and literary inspiration. The Trust is developing plans to honour Blythe’s vision of the estate as a protected haven for wildlife and creative hub.
Rich Yates, Chief Executive for Essex Wildlife Trust, says:
"Ronnie’s wish was for the estate to become a nature reserve and to include a studio to inspire writers, artists, photographers, natural historians and historians for generations to come. We have an advisory group including Ronnie’s friends, the executors of his will, and literary academics to develop a vision and steward the estate in a way that fulfils Ronnie’s wishes as closely as possible. It’s not our natural territory but it’s an amazing gift for the Trust."
