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Visiting Heptonstall to see Sylvia Plath's Grave

Today we (Gail Crowther, David Fitzwilliam, and I) visited Heptonstall to see the gravesite of Sylvia Plath. It was during a snowstorm; the winds were vicious and snow was blowing and drifting everywhere; it had to be seen to be believed, which is why I took some video. The village of Heptonstall was quite and we were the first to traipse to the grave. After visiting the grave, we walked up through the village and into Heptonstall Slack to see the Beacon, where the house was exposed to the full force and fury of the storm. The road at the bottom of the images (and video) was impassable from the snow drifts. Retiring after this exertion for a coffee at the Cross Inn was well earned to warm up before facing the rest of the day.

This was my fourth visit to see Plath's grave and the first since 2003, which was in February of that year but at that time the weather was crisp and fine. Today's weather made for quite a surreal experience in what has been an truly magical, mysterious, and adventurous Plath-filled week with previous stops in London and in several Devon locations, which included seeing Plath book author's Andrew Wilson and Robin Peel, as well as a much loved meeting with Elizabeth Sigmund in which I got to chat-Plath and see Plath's copy of the Collected Poems Dylan Thomas. I wanted to see Plath's grave especially in this year as it is the 50th anniversary of her death. The landscape of Yorkshire in 1963 might have looked similar to what I saw today as that was the year of "The Big Freeze" when much of the country was under snow and ice.

Here are some pictures of the grave of Sylvia Plath, the Beacon, and Heptonstall. In addition to these images, I have also posted two videos on Sylvia Plath Info Blog's YouTube channel. Click here to see Plath's graveClick here to see the Beacon.

Towngate, Heptonstall

Heptonstall

Towngate, Heptonstall

Church Street, Heptonstall

The Beacon

Sylvia Plath's grave

Gail Crowther and PKS at Sylvia Plath's grave

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