Literature & Creative Writing: Venues and Resources

Stories and Settings

A school residential trip focusing on literature and creative writing immerses pupils in the inspiring landscapes and historic homes of Dorset, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, where some of history's most celebrated authors—including Jane Austen, John Keats, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Charles Dickens—lived, worked, or found their creative muse.

The South Coast offers a uniquely dramatic backdrop that has shaped centuries of narrative tradition. By visiting the residences and environments that influenced these literary giants, students are invited to step into the world of great stories, using these settings as a foundation for their own descriptive writing and character development.

• Literary Footsteps: Students trace the history of authors across the region: Jane Austen, who spent significant time in Hampshire, where she refined her craft; John Keats, who sought inspiration in the mild climate of the Isle of Wight; and the Victorian masters Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Algernon Charles Swinburne, both of whom found a profound sense of home and artistic sanctuary on the Isle of Wight.
• Charles Dickens in Bonchurch: Pupils explore the Isle of Wight’s connection to Charles Dickens, who famously stayed in the village of Bonchurch. This location not only provided the author with rest and creative energy but also served as a backdrop for parts of his literary works, offering students a tangible link to his writing process.
• Landscape as Inspiration: Interactive writing workshops in the same dramatic coastal and woodland settings that moved these poets and novelists challenge pupils to capture the mood of a landscape, using the power of their surroundings to craft vivid imagery and evocative descriptive prose.
• Narrative and Character: Children examine how the specific environment of the South Coast informed the work of these authors, exploring how the region's atmosphere influenced the development of their complex characters, timeless themes, and enduring narrative legacies.

Browse our curated selection of author residences, literary heritage sites, and creative writing inspirations below to build an inspiring itinerary that connects your pupils to the power of the written word.