About the Society
The Richard Jefferies Society was established on 13 June 1950 and now has members in all parts of the world. It is a registered charity (No. 1042838) managed by an Executive Council of volunteers.
The Society aims to promote interest in, and respect for the life and works of Richard Jefferies (1848-1887).
The Richard Jefferies Society publishes a Spring and an Autumn newsletter along with Annual Reports. with information about the writer, planned events, meetings, outings, publications and services are circulated to members twice a year along with an annual report. In addition members receive a copy of the Society’s Journal containing hitherto unpublished writing by Jefferies, new articles, research and book reviews. E-bulletins are sent out monthly.
The Society has a special concern for such places in Wiltshire as the writer’s birthplace at Coate that houses a Museum dedicated to his memory and is managed by the Richard Jefferies Museum Trust (a separate charity).
Richard Jefferies birthplace – a cottage in Coate, Wiltshire
Coate Water (the setting for Bevis)
Coate Water Wiltshire
Liddington Hill — “the labour of walking three miles to it … seemed to clear my blood of the heaviness accumulated at home … I began to breathe a new air”.
The memorial stone on Burderop Down with its iconic quote “It is eternity now. I am in the midst of it. It is about me in the sunshine.”
Other places of pilgrimage are at Surbiton (pdf), Sydenham and Eltham near London, and at Brighton, Crowborough and at his final home at Goring by Sea, Sussex (pdf) where he died at the age of 38. Richard Jefferies grave (pdf) is in Broadwater cemetery at Worthing.
‘To the honoured memory of the Prose Poet of England’s fields and woodlands’
Meetings are held in the winter months by Zoom and the Spring Lecture and Annual General Meeting take place at the Richard Jefferies Museum.
A Bursary is available for projects that promote a new understanding of the writings of Jefferies.
The Society awards a yearly literary prize for excellence in nature writing in association with the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough.
The Society holds extensive archives at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Chippenham. Download a catalogue (pdf) of our archives held there.
The Society is a member of the Alliance of Literary Societies.
The Society hosts a Facebook page, BlueSky, Instagram and You Tube channel.
The Society has issued a Privacy Statement with regard to the use of ‘cookies’ on this website.
For further information contact the Richard Jefferies Society by email.
