A RENONWED countryside writer’s Colchester village estate will be turned into a nature reserve to inspire future artists. 

Bottengoms in Wormingford, was the estate of the late Ronald Blythe, an Acton-born writer who is best known for his 1969 Akenfield novel fictionalising Suffolk village life.

His estate will now be turned into a wildlife haven after it was gifted to the Essex Wildlife Trust after his death in January last year.

Ronnie, as he wanted all to call him, grew up in “terrible rural poverty”, leaving school at 14 but became a life-long reader through borrowing library books - and in 1954 he later funded the Colchester Literary Society.

Ronnie, spent all his life living within 50 miles of his birthplace, and wrote more than 40 books as well as the long-running Word from Wormingford column.

Creative - Ronnie Blythe, seen in 2016, wrote and published until of his lifeCreative - Ronnie Blythe, seen in 2016, wrote and published until of his life (Image: Newsquest) Ronnie was gifted Bottengoms - a 16th century yeaoman farmer’s house - by the artists John and Christine Nash.

As Ronnie told the Gazette in 2016, his introduction to the world of artists was through  Christine who met while he worked as a reference in Colchester Library up until 1954, a year before he “paid his way” as a writer.  

John Nash was a famous landscapes and still-life artist, a founding member of the Colchester Arts Society, and he also gave several of his art works to The Miniories – which was mostly sold to The Tate.  

Ronnie left Bottengoms to the Essex Wildlife Trust, with The Guardian reporting that the estate will welcome visiting schoolchildren and students and are also brainstorming other ideas for the reserve.

He also saved a total of £500,000  which will be spent on the house’s repairs before it is open to the public.  

The trust also said they will not open the house to “high volumes” of visitors to maintain the peaceful spirit of the house. 

Further the Essex Wildlife Trust alongside Ian Collins, a friend of Ronnie, have published a new biography which includes how Bottengom’s tranquillity enabled Ronnie to write prolifically until his death.

Essex Wildlife Trust will be holding a talk and book singing on December 19 with Ian Collins at the Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park in Colchester. 

Trust chief executive Rich Yates will also be there as part of a Q&A panel and to find our more search for the event on eventbrite.co.uk