Whose house is this, if full of wear?

This is Glendower, the last house in Nailsworth occupied by the poet W H Davies, most famous for his poem, Leisure

"What life is this, if full of care
we have no time to stand and stare..."

I think you probably had to learn it at school, too.

Davies was born in 1871 in a pub in Newport, Gwent, and settled in Nailsworth for the last ten years of his life, when he was a married man. He died in 1940. In between, he was a rover, describing himself as a bum and a supertramp, roaming across the US and Canada, hitching rides on trains and hanging out with hobos. His autobiography of a Supertramp is probably his second-best-known work.

His cottage, Glendower, in Watledge road high above the Nailsworth valley and the A46, ended up in the hands of his great-nephew Norman, who lived there with his mother. She kept it spotless and well-maintained. Sadly, she also died, and at some point Norman began to hoard things. The fabric of the building began to deteriorate, and there were even calls to have it demolished. (It's a Stone cottage dating back to approximately 1700). A 'friends group' was eventually set up with the aim of restoring it, but the situation is complicated. On Norman's death, the property will be inherited by a relative in New Zealand. He says he wants to return to the UK, but on the other hand, he may not! So far he has paid for some restoration, and and others have chipped in, on the understanding that when it becomes inhabitable again, Norman will move back in. He is currently living elsewhere in Nailsworth. As you can see from the above image, it's not quite ready for an occupant yet.

I was visiting as part of a WEA study day, which was sparsely attended. As I was sitting in the house with WEA Tony's wife, three local women walked by and stopped to admire the stone plaque outside, and to discuss the poem. So we invited them, and their dog, in for a guided tour.

One thing that Tony's wife had just unearthed was a 1960s flat chocolate box complete with pink rose photograph, full of Dulux and other decorators' catalogues straight out of the postwar era! We had a giggle at them, identifying which dated items of furniture we still own.

My collage is of the poet's bannisters / upper floor, and Norman standing on the steps of Glendower, the cottage he hopes once more to call home.