“For solitude sometimes is best society,
And short retirement urges sweet return.”
– Paradise Lost, Book IX, lines 249-50
Welcome back
We’re open and ready when you are – though things may be a little different to begin with. To comply with social distancing guidelines – and to ensure you and our staff stay safe – we are only taking online advance bookings for the moment.
This will help us manage the number of people in Milton’s Cottage at any one time and support the NHS track and trace requirements. Your information will be held securely, in line with our data protection policy, for the required period of 21 days.
Here are some of the additional measures we have put in place for your safety and the safety of our staff and volunteers:
Social distancing
The number of visitors to Milton’s Cottage has been reduced so you can maintain social distancing during your visit.
Face coverings
You are encouraged to wear face coverings, for your safety and the safety of others. Disposable masks are available for a donation to Milton’s Cottage.
Hand sanitiser station
Hand sanitiser will be available for you to use on entry and exit to Milton’s Cottage.
If you’re feeling unwell
If you, or anyone you live with, displays symptoms associated with COVID-19, please delay your visit until it is safe to do so. We will provide a full refund or arrange an alternative date for your visit to Milton’s Cottage.
For those of you unable to join us at the current time, we invite you to take a virtual tour in verse of Milton’s Cottage with this excerpt from Paradise Lost for 350 Voices – a collective reading of Milton’s epic masterpiece in the place where it was completed:
You can also discover how an earlier pandemic connects Paradise Lost to Milton’s Cottage in this link to our newsletter: Milton Messenger
We thank everyone for their support and understanding during these exceptional circumstances.
2 for 1 offers are available to members of The Poetry Society & CPRE as well as a 33% discount to English Heritage members. Please show your membership card to claim these offers.
Please note that individual ticket purchases are valid for 12 months when a Gift Aid Declaration is signed.
Directions
Public transport
Chiltern Line from Marylebone to Gerrards Cross (High Wycombe train) then 105, 335 or 580 bus to Chalfont St Giles
Chiltern Line from Marylebone to Amersham (Aylesbury train) or Metropolitan line from Baker Street to Amersham then 105 bus to Chalfont St Giles (London Road stop)
As above, but alight at Chalfont and Latimer station and take a taxi
Private transport
Take the A413 to Chalfont St Giles, turn into the village at the double mini-roundabout, continue through the village and approximately 75 metres past the last shop is Milton’s Cottage.
Parking information
There is a free visitor’s car park adjoining Milton’s Cottage for cars. Coach parking must be arranged in advance by email or telephone.
Group Visits
Milton’s Cottage is the perfect destination for a group visit and we are delighted to cater for parties of varying sizes and interests.
So that all of our visitors enjoy the intimate ambience of Milton’s Cottage, we recommend that any groups of 15 or more people book with us in advance. As Milton’s Cottage is a Grade I listed Elizabethan cottage, with limited space, our maximum group size is 25 people (or up to 50 if the group is able to divide into smaller groups to visit the garden or St. Giles Church).
A visit to Milton’s Cottage usually lasts between 1 – 1.5 hours. If your group is planning a full day trip to the area, we would be delighted to suggest other local visitor attractions as well as cafes, restaurants and pubs in the village. We are happy to provide contact details and any other information to help make your group visit a pleasurable one.
To enquire about making a booking, please telephone us on 01494 872313 / groups@miltonscottage.org or fill in the Group booking form
Access Information
We want to help all of our visitors enjoy their experience at Milton’s Cottage as much as we can. There is wheelchair access by prior arrangement and guide dogs are welcome throughout the museum. If you require any further information, please call us on 01494 872313.
In the Area
Whilst visiting Milton’s Cottage, why not take some time to wander around the village of Chalfont St. Giles, one of the loveliest in the Chilterns? As well as great pubs, cafes and restaurants there’s a Grade I listed Norman church, village green, duckpond and the River Misbourne running tranquilly through.
Close by is the Chiltern Open Air Museum and Jordans Quaker Meeting House – famous as the last resting place of William Penn and his family.
The Chalfont St. Giles village website has further information about the local area:
