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| Kilns (C. S. Lewis house) | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Kilns |
| Location | Headington, Oxford, England |
| Built | 1922 (rebuilt) |
| Architecture | Arts and Crafts |
| Governing body | The Kilns Foundation |
Kilns (C. S. Lewis house) is the former home of author C. S. Lewis, located in Headington, Oxford, England. The house served as Lewis's residence, study, and refuge during periods of teaching at University of Oxford and friendships with figures associated with Magdalen College, Oxford, Pembroke College, Oxford, and literary circles linked to The Inklings. The Kilns has been central to scholarship on works such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity, attracting visitors from institutions like Penguin Books, HarperCollins, and academic centers including King's College London and Princeton University.
The house occupies a site near the River Cherwell and was associated with industrial activity from the 19th century, notably brickworks tied to the local Great Eastern Railway network and suppliers that served Oxford University Press and regional construction for Christ Church, Oxford and Trinity College, Oxford. In the early 20th century, the property passed through owners connected to the Oxford Preservation Trust and patrons of the Arts and Crafts movement before being leased to C. S. Lewis, who moved there from The Kilns' previous tenants in 1930 and purchased it with funds connected to the British Council and royalties from Geoffrey Bles. During World War II, the Kilns provided a base for correspondence with figures such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams while Lewis tutored students associated with St John's College, Oxford and engaged in broadcasts for the BBC. Postwar changes involved conservation efforts influenced by policies from Historic England and support from organizations like the National Trust and heritage campaigns led by scholars at University College London.
Built in an Arts and Crafts idiom popularized by architects influenced by William Morris and Philip Webb, the Kilns reflects design principles shared with houses associated with figures such as Edward Burne-Jones and Gustav Holst's residences. The layout includes a study, sitting room, and service quarters comparable to contemporaneous houses linked to John Ruskin and William Morris's circle. The grounds feature landscaped elements resonant with the gardens of Sissinghurst Castle Garden, with specimen trees and a wildlife pond that support species documented by naturalists affiliated with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Ecological Society. Access drives historically connected the site to routes serving Oxford suburbs and to nearby properties once owned by academics of Magdalen College, Oxford and clergy from University Church of St Mary the Virgin.
During his residency, Lewis balanced duties at Magdalen College, Oxford and lectures that intersected with themes studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and referenced by scholars at Harvard University and Yale University. He composed major works at the Kilns, including entries in correspondence with editors at Geoffrey Bles, translators at Oxford University Press, and colleagues such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Dorothy L. Sayers, and W. H. Auden. The house witnessed personal events involving figures like Joy Davidman and interactions with social networks extending to readers associated with Oxford Union debates and broadcasts on the BBC Home Service. Manuscripts now consulted by researchers at Bodleian Libraries, The British Library, and The Harry Ransom Center often bear marginalia that scholars link to Lewis's routines at the Kilns, and the house's environment influenced his natural theology writings interacting with thinkers from Cambridge University and institutions such as The Royal Society.
Conservation campaigns drew support from alumni of Oxford University and organizations including the C. S. Lewis Foundation and trustees with ties to Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and Ridley Hall, Cambridge. The Kilns Foundation coordinated restoration guided by standards promoted by ICOMOS and overseen in consultation with curators from Bodleian Libraries and the British Library. Collections conserved at the property include furniture tied to collectors associated with Victoria and Albert Museum and paper archives catalogued alongside holdings at Magdalen College, Oxford and research centers at Marquette University. Designation and protection efforts referenced best practices of Historic England and advocacy from international bodies such as UNESCO's memory of the world program and partnerships with academic publishers like Oxford University Press.
The Kilns offers guided tours developed with input from educators at University of Oxford, program collaborations with The C. S. Lewis Company, and lecture series featuring speakers affiliated with Harvard Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Yale Divinity School. Educational initiatives include seminars on literature and theology coordinated with faculties from King's College London, Durham University, and University of St Andrews, and youth outreach engaging groups linked to The Scout Association and regional schools in Oxfordshire. Residency programs and fellowships invite scholars sponsored by institutions such as The British Academy, The Leverhulme Trust, and international visiting chairs from Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley.
The Kilns has become a site of pilgrimage for readers of The Chronicles of Narnia and students of twentieth-century literature with ties to festivals such as the Hay Festival and conferences hosted by The New York Public Library and The British Library. Its preservation has influenced heritage practices at other author homes like Charles Dickens Museum, Jane Austen's House Museum, and William Wordsworth's Dove Cottage, while scholarship connecting Lewis to contemporaries including T. S. Eliot, George MacDonald, and Rudyard Kipling continues across departments at University of Cambridge, Princeton University, and Yale University. The Kilns remains referenced in biographies published by houses such as HarperCollins and Oxford University Press and in documentaries produced by broadcasters like the BBC and PBS.
Category:C. S. Lewis Category:Historic houses in Oxfordshire