I’m very excited to be starting work as Poet in Residence at Acton Scott Historic Working Farm in Shropshire. I’ll be on site there for 18 days between Easter and mid July, with a further 5 writing days as part of this project supported by Arts Council England. Here’s a flavour of things so far, reblogged from the Residency’s new blog, Poet on the Farm.
A glorious 1st April morning at Acton Scott! Sunshine warmed my back as I was shown round the farm. A Norfolk Black turkey cock gobbled at us and fanned his tail. A small hen took a dustbath under a waggon.
“Would it be alright if you worked in this?” said Sal.
It really would. Very alright.
You’re looking at the Shepherd Poet’s Hut.
From here poems will be read, written, shared and hugely enjoyed.
We 
explored the bailiff’s house, which contains a dairy whose years of cheese-making have permeated its cool walls, so that you breathe in a faint sour scent of milk just as the door opens.
Upstairs is a schoolroom, with single wooden desks and an authoritarian atmosphere. This is the kind of place to write poems that require syllables counted (on the abacus?), or a very strict rhyme scheme…
We’ve got an outline now of the days…
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JEAN ATKIN 