Our Lower Sixth A Level English Literature pupils experienced another dose of Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury group when we visited Woolf’s Sussex home, Monk’s House, in Rodmell, near Lewes, following a visit to her sister – Vanessa Bell’s – countryside home at Charleston, Firle. We first travelled to Charleston Farmhouse, where our pupils were inspired by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant's unique interior design and distinctive artworks, providing a valuable insight into the creative Bloomsbury circle that Woolf and Bell were an intrinsic part of. We were also fortunate that our visit coincided with an exhibition of Virginia Woolf's involvement with the Hogarth Press, which she established with her husband, Leonard, and which was responsible for publishing some of the most important radical thinkers' work of the early twentieth century. Following an al fresco lunch in the sunshine, we travelled through the stunning Sussex Downs to Monk's House, where we had the opportunity to explore Woolf’s sitting room, dining room, bedroom, and garden writing room – which represents the feminist idea that in order for a woman to be able to write a novel, she needs a ‘room of her own’, as articulated in her 1928 essay 'A Room of One’s Own'. We then ventured into the beautiful gardens that inspired so much of the floral imagery and symbolism found in Mrs Dalloway. In addition to the stunning artwork and texts on display, we were fortunate to speak with several of the volunteers who are all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the cultural and personal significance of both Charleston and Monk's House. The famous names who lived and worked as part of the Bloomsbury group were made very real for us and will help to shape the discussion we take back into the classroom. We all agreed that the day was not only insightful in allowing us to authentically enrich our knowledge of Woolf and her work, but provided a really inspiring and uplifting change of scenery following the recently-completed Lower Sixth exams. Mr Tugby and Dr Blanch