Monk's House

Monk's House was another part of our trip to East Sussex. This house, just 7 miles from Charleston Farmhouse, was the home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf after the second world war. It was in this house that she wrote Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and many other novels. It was also in this house - specifically, in her writing room at the bottom of the garden - that she wrote her farewell letter to Leonard, before walking down to the nearby River Ouse and drowning herself. Very sad ending to her life, but what a literary legend she is!

The garden - Leonard Woolf was very fond of gardening, and he made sure they had an extravagant garden that was always well kept. The National Trust (who now cares for the house) has worked very hard to make sure the garden remains unaltered. So, this is the garden just as Leonard and Virginia would have seen it. Very cool!

Leonard was buried here - he passed away in  1969.

Virginia was buried here. She took her own life in  1941, after suffering for years with depression and mental illness. In her farewell note to Leonard, she stated with great eloquence that "you have given me the greatest possible happiness...I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been." Virginia simply believed that she would never recover from that particular bout of depression, and felt that death would be a better alternative for both her and Leonard. 

statue in the garden at Monk's House

The view from the garden of the house - the hills of Sussex.

Virginia's writing room - where she once sat and composed many of her wonderful novels. Very humbling and overwhelming to be there! This is also where she wrote the tragic farewell letter to Leonard. 

The view of the back of the house - the garden room. 

Just a cute house nearby!

Another cute house on the street of Monk's House - can you imagine living down the street from where Virginia Woolf once lived? 

Yet another cute house - they're just so...English!