Newbenchinstalledatpoet’sformerhome

Visitors to the John Clare Cottage and garden will be able to enjoy the surroundings that inspired the area’s most famous poet with the help of a donation from the Anglia Cooperative Community Fund.

The Peterborough retail co- operative’s ‘ community chest’ has funded a speciallydesigned bench for the cottage garden at Helpston, John Clare’s birthplace and home.

The bench was created by woodcarver David Rawlings, from Empingham, who made thefurnitureforthegoldmedal winning John Clare Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

It is inscribed with the words‘ fields weretheessence of the song’, a line from Clare’s poem‘ Theprogress of rhyme’, which captures the inspiration hedrewforhisworkfrom the fields around Helpston.

CottageTrustdeputyman- ager Chris Kemp said: “Visitors will have a quiet place to sit andcontemplate their surroundings.”

Pictured are ( left to right) DouglasBoyallfromtheco- op, wood carver David Rawlings andChrisKemp, DeputyManager of the John Clare Trust.