A NEW festival in Porlock later this year will celebrate the life and work of renowned English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
‘Coleridge in Porlock’ takes place from Thursday, March 27, to Sunday, March 30, with a programme of walks and talks commemorating his connections to the area.
It is being organised by Porlock Parish Council with local volunteers and in association with The Friends of Coleridge.
All the events can be separately booked, allowing visitors to pick and mix those which best suit from the programme.
A spokesperson said: “Join us for a weekend of poetry, fresh air, and inspiring views at ‘Coleridge in Porlock’.
“Dive into the world of poetry and nature as we explore the landscape that influenced Coleridge’s work.
“He often visited the village and its surroundings when he lived in Nether Stowey.
“It was in a farmhouse near Culbone that he wrote his famous poem ‘Kubla Khan’, which draws on topographical features of our coastline.
“Do not miss this unique opportunity to connect with the spirit of one of our greatest poets.”
The festival opens with a welcome event in Porlock Village Hall on the Thursday evening when there will be a screening of the 30-minute docudrama ‘Splendour in the Grass’ narrated by John Sessions, telling of Coleridge and the Wordsworths’ time in Dorset and Somerset.
Porlock actor Jen Warwick will also give a performance of three of Coleridge’s Somerset poems, ‘Kubla Khan’, ‘Frost at Midnight’, and ‘This Lime Tree Bower my Prison’.
On the Friday, there will be a walk from Ash Farm via Culbone Church along the coast path to Broomstreet Farm.
The Saturday features a study session in Porlock’s Dovery Manor Museum and an evening meal in the village’s Ship Inn, and then a talk and lunch on the Sunday.
Festival tickets can be booked online.