The location rumored to have been the inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse is about to go up for sale. As a child, Woolf spent many summers in a guest house at Upton Towans beach in Gwithian, from which the lighthouse on nearby Godrevy Island is clearly visible.The novel, long considered an exemplum of modernist fiction, is set in Hebrides rather than Cornwall, but features many of the same geographical landmarks as the Upton Towans beach, including the seashore, gardens leading to the sea, and of course the lighthouse.
Bids for the beach are expected to begin at about £50,000, and proceeds from the sale will go to Truro’s Hall for Cornwall theatre. It has been reported that buyers in both the U.S. and China are interested in the Cornish beach. [Via BBC News]
The nearby lighthouse had been slated for closure, but was saved by public outcry in 2005. [Via BBC News]
--Rachel Frier
Photo: BBC News
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