Dymock Poets Archive

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Gloucestershire Poets, Writers and Artists Collection

Edward Thomas 1917 copyright Estate of Robin Guthrie

An Introduction

On the north-west borders of Gloucestershire, in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of the First World War, a literary community was formed which came to represent a significant development in the modern poetic tradition.

By August 1914, the poet and playwright Lascelles Abercrombie, Wilfrid Gibson, and the Americal poet Robert Frost had all taken up residence in and around the village of Dymock. Inspired by the beauty of their surroundings and encouraged by a succession of visitors, including Rupert Brooke, John Drinkwater, Edward Thomas and Eleanor Farjeon, a new literary currency was established during that final summer before the outbreak of war.

Their writings represented a movement away from the prevailing literary idiom, regarded by many as rhetorically ornate and emotionally restricted. Instead the Dymock Poets sought inspiration in natural settings and everyday experiences. In this, and their desire for a more direct, authentic register, their work can be located within the traditions of Wordsworth and the principles set out in Lyrical Ballards.

It was a productive time for all concerned, with four issues of a periodical, New Numbers, being written and printed as a true cottage industry. This period was also to see the emergence of Edward Thomas as a gifted and prolific writer of verse and to lead to Robert Frost’s formation of a new poetic philosophy.

This brief idyll was to prove short lived. Within three years both Brooke and Thomas were dead, Frost had returned to North America, and Abercrombie, Drinkwater and Gibson were involved in war work. Their writings, however, continue to form and important literary legacy to this day.

The Dymock Poets Archive & Study Centre

The University of Gloucestershire established and houses a major research collection to promote interest in the work of the Dymock Poets and to provide an important resource for those engaged in cultural, historic and literary research. The Dymock Poets Archive & Study Centre is located within the Archive Room at the University’s Francis Close Hall Campus in Cheltenham. Full details of services and facilities on offer are available.

The archive contains:

Manuscripts and first editions of the writings of Lascelles Abercrombie
A comprehensive collection of the works of Edward Thomas
Works, photographs, and personal ephemera donated by the family of Wilfrid Gibson
Manuscripts, first editions and personal effects of Eleanor Farjeon
Extensive collection of poetry by, and critical works of, Robert Frost
A major collection of the works of John Drinkwater
Works relating to other Gloucestershire and Herefordshire poets and fellow figures of the Georgian movement
Scholarly papers, journals and biographies
Newsletters, correspondence and publicity material from local and international literary societies
Multimedia resources, including audio, video and CD-ROM

Please contact us for more details on our holdings.

Friends of the Dymock Poets

The Friends of the Dymock Poets was established in 1993 and exists to foster an interest in the work of the Dymock Poets and help preserve places and things associated with them. Members are informed of literary and other matters arising concerned with the Dymock Poets. The Society also aims to help protect the border countryside of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and increase knowledge and appreciation of the landscape between May Hill and the Malvern Hills. The University is a member and receives the regular newsletters and communication which is accessioned into the Dymock Poets Archive. Dymock Poets Archive and Study Centre Occasional Paper 8 - The New Numbers Poets and the Chicago Little Theatre by Lesley Lee Francis

Along with the newsletter, members are offered lectures, poetry readings and social meetings, guided walks in the local countryside, links with other literary societies and an annual event to commemorate the first meeting between Edward Thomas and Robert Frost on 6th October 1913. For more information please visit the Society’s website

The Edward Thomas Fellowship

The Edward Thomas Fellowship was founded in 1980 and exists to promote knowledge and appreciation of Edward Thomas’s life and work. The Society aims to conserve the countryside known to Edward Thomas and recorded in his writings, keep people in touch with relevant happenings and arrange events which extend fellowship and keep members abreast of relevant literary matters. The University is a member and the regular newsletters and communication is accessioned into the Dymock Poets Archive. For more information please visit the Society’s website.

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