Trust hopes to turn William Blake’s cottage into a museum

Campaign aims to renovate Sussex home where artist and poet wrote Jerusalem in time for 200th anniversary of his death

In the early months of 1800, while living in Lambeth, William Blake found himself at the bottom of a deep pit of melancholy, melancholy without any reason for it".

A change of environment was imperative. So when landed gentleman and patron of the arts William Hayley invited Blake to spend a few days on the Sussex coast, the poet, painter and printmaker agreed, hoping the sea breeze would raise his spirits and stimulate his imagination.