Britain’s Art Fund (formerly the National Art Collections Fund) has launched an appeal to raise £3.5 million by March 31 to buy artist and film-maker Derek Jarman’s much visited home, Prospect Cottage, its contents, and its abstract, futuristic garden at nearby Dungeness.
Jarman died in 1994, but his home and garden has been preserved as it was then, and has regularly featured in articles and programmes about his life and work.
That work reflects the isolation and strange beauty of the huge shingle bank at Dungeness which has built up over centuries, and may even have provided sheltered anchorage for the invading Norman fleet in 1066 before the Battle of Hastings.
Most of the land and many of the buildings (apart from Prospect Cottage) were bought a few years ago by the company running the nuclear power station at Dungeness.
Image Credits: Strutt & Parker .
It would be nice to know from the Art Fund why they need so much money and what they propose to do with the site. Will it change in any way from its current informality and charm? The last thing we surely want is to make it a formal tourist attraction with all that means. The bungalow does not appear to have any listing and at the very least I hope this can be arranged to maintain its integrity
We totally agree with Michael Miller’s comments. There seem to be a lot of unanswered questions here including who currently owns and maintains the property and what are the contents inside the property? Can anyone answer these questions for us?
Where does this valuation come from ?
I totally agree with all of the above. I’d be very keen to see who receives such a vast amount and the books to see where it is spent.
I think what a worthwhile project I cannot understand why our government is not buying this for the nation
So that this is kept for all our generation now and to come
I do not have lots of money but would gladly contribute a hundred pound towards keeping it for all
Lets concentrate on our important commitments to this town first, like saving the heritage centre and Rye town model, lets keep the Rye news local, that was the trouble with the Rye Observer,too much news elewhere, and not enough about the town
Yet another area that locals can’t afford to live in, Dungeness is slowly changing from a wild and beautiful place to a place for designer houses with lots of noughts on the price tag.
Cornwall must be full.
Here is the Art Fund website link to Prospect cottage
https://www.artfund.org/get-involved/art-happens/prospect-cottage
£1886.610 million has so far been raised. There are 55 days left to reach the £3.5million.
The link says that “Without this appeal, the cottage is at risk of being sold privately…”
I think it would be far better if it WAS sold privately at the market rate not an inflated price determined by the Art Fund. How on earth the Art Fund decided on this huge figure , we need to know!
If the Art Fund has its way, the cottage will be on the tourist trail which will endanger the unique natural environment of Dungeness. I know tourists visit the area now but I am sure the numbers are an acceptable level to preserve the environment and are closely monitored by the Environment agency. Also this would be the only house on Dungeness not purely residential.
Let’s hope the Art Fund cannot raise the 3.5 million. I imagine the current owners would love the Art Fund to purchase it at above market value although the 3.5 million will include funds for making it into a museum and future maintenance.
It would be interesting to find out just how much the Art Fund intend to buy the cottage for.