Discover a literary paradise at Milton’s Cottage, the only surviving home of the visionary poet, parliamentarian and pamphleteer John Milton.
Welcome
John Milton came to Chalfont St Giles to escape the Great Plague of 1665, and complete his epic masterpiece Paradise Lost.
Today, this Grade I listed building is open to the public as a museum, so everyone can experience where literary history was made.
What’s On
Making Hiss-tory
Demons’ Ink
John Milton
John Milton (1608–1674) was a key figure in literature and politics during a turbulent time in English history. Milton travelled Europe to study and returned to England during the Civil War where he went on to serve in Oliver Cromwell’s government. Best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, Milton also wrote influential texts on the freedom of the press, republicanism, and divorce.
Explore Milton’s Cottage
Milton’s Cottage opened as a museum in 1887, making us one of the oldest writer’s house museums in the world. Our collection celebrates the extraordinary breadth of John Milton’s writing, from his early poetic works to his iconic prose pamphlets on social, religious, political and press freedoms.
We are also home to a unique literary garden, inspired by Milton’s description of the Garden of Eden in Paradise Lost and planted with trees, flowers and fruits that are referenced in his poetry.
Support us
Milton’s Cottage is a small charity and relies on the generosity of supporters who share our passion for Milton, literature and liberty. Your donations help make the work of Milton’s Cottage possible