Here are some TEL sites to visit in England, although this is
not an exhaustive study. If anyone had bought the National Portrait
Gallery T.E. LAWRENCE CATALOGUE edited by Jeremy Wilson (which
was published for the 1988 centenary of TEL's birth to go with
the NPG exhibit) you can see the various collection items that
are about and where they are located.
In Dorset there is the Bovington Tank
Museum located in the Bovington Camp which I believe is in
Wool. There is a special exhibit on TEL. Nearby is Clouds
Hill and it is on the road connecting Bovington Camp and Clouds
Hill where the fatal accident occurred. Clouds Hill is open from
April to October, I think, and is a must-see. Check ahead of time
for hours. There is also the Moreton Cemetary where TEL was buried
and St. Nicholas Church nearby where the funeral was performed.
There are some beautiful, etched windows in this church which
are quite unusual. In Wareham, there is the church in which is
located Eric Kennington's effigy of TEL. Unfortunately, the Church
has been closed for repairs and it is not known when it will reopen.
In London, the Union Club still exists where
TEL used to stay when in the RAF and visiting London (because
it was a good deal to soldiers). There is the National Portrait
Gallery memorial room to the artists of WWI in which is a replica
of the Kennington effigy of TEL and the Augustus John pencil drawing
of TEL in arab clothes. The Imperial War Museum has some reference
to the Mideast War Theatre and there is a fine collection of paintings
by the war artists. A couple of nice one by Kennington. None of
the TEL portraits, but many of the artist that TEL would have
known. It also gives a strong feel as to what the war was like
abroad and at home. There is the Kennington bust of TEL by Kennington
in the Crypt of St. Paul Cathedral, too. You can also get a hands-on
try at Brass Rubbing in the Brass Rubbing Institute of St. Martins
in the Field which is across the street (in a diagonal fashion)
from the National Art and Portrait Gallery. The BR is in the basement
area where there is a cafeteria too. You may be able to see one
of the subscriber edition of SPoW at the British Library, but
this may be tricky since it would have to be ordered and I do
not know if this facility is available to the general public.
Try visiting Maggs Bros. Book Collectors. They have a large collection
of TEL material on sale and there may be a subscriber edition
available, but don't faint when they tell you the price!
In Oxford, there is the TEL Society library
within the Central Library of Oxfordshire, Westgate, Oxford. It
is located on what the British call the second floor (and we would
call third floor) in the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies. You would
need to ask someone at the Centre's reception desk to give you
access. It is open to the public, though sometimes the volunteers
there are not aware of this. You can have them check the regulations
within the sign-up book in the TEL Society Library cabinet. None
of the material can be taken out on loan, but it is open to the
public. There is a collection of books, journals, newsletters,
photos, ect. There are some audiotapes on radio documentaries
of TEL, and an audiovideo copy of Malcolm Brown's and Julia Cave's
TEL documentary which is quite good (Arnold Lawrence is interviewed
in it). These you can view or listen to at the library, but you
must reserve the equipment ahead of time. The number to call is:
(01865) 815749.
Other sites are the Oxford City High School for Boys (which is
now the Sociology Department of Oxford) located on George Street
about opposite the entrance of the Gloucester Green where there
is an MGM Cinema.
TEL's parents were buried at the Wolvercote Cemetary which can
be hard to get to unless you hire a cab.
The Lawrence's house still stands on 2 Polstead Road which is
reached heading north out of Oxford Centre on Woodstock road.
About a 15 to 20 minute walk. Polstead Road is on the left. A
couple houses down the right is 2 Polstead with a blue plaque.
At present it is not open for viewing unless you can conjole the
owner who is not too keen on it. The bungalow still exists in
the backyard and some who had the chance to look inside the house
many moons ago saw markings on a kitchen cabinet door indicating
the heights of the Lawrence boys as they were growing.
The Ashmolean has a collection of arab clothes, some wooden doors,
a couple portraits of TEL, but these can only be seen by appointment
only and they prefer doing the work for a group. There is also
a brass-rubbing done by TEL and a collection of his the pottery
he found around Oxford in the Medieval Room on the ground floor
of the Museum (which is just off the Greek Sculture Gallery).
The pottery are sort of scattered about in the room, but the brass-rubbing
is life-size. There are some Hittie seals that were collected
by TEL upstairs in some back room dedicated to the ancient Mid-East.
The Ashmolean Museum is on Beaumont Street (though now you enter
by St. Giles due to construction). Its phone number is (01865)
278049.
All Souls College has a collection of items TEL brought back
from the Hejaz, a few sculptures of him, and a believe a copy
of a subscriber edition of SPoW. This again is by appointment
only and they prefer a group since all these items are in storage
and need to be brought out and arranged. The person to contact
may be:
- Dr. Bailey
- All Souls College
- Oxford OX1 4AL
- ENGLAND
- (01865) 279 379
The Bodleian Library has a collection on books and manuscripts,
but they are even more difficult to set up an appointment. Unfortunately,
I do not have their number on hand though it is located on Broad
Street in Oxford.
You can visit Jesus College at certain hours when the college
is open to tourists.
I am sure there is far more that people can add.