Launching the Leith Hill Place Poetry Hub
Sunday 14th June 2026 saw the launch of the new seasonal Poetry Hub at Leith Hill Place, under the umbrella of the Surrey Poet Laureateship, with some special guests: Hazel Watson, Vice Chairman of Mole Valley, plus Surrey’s inaugural Poet Laureate, Adam Gary, and Laureateship Vice President, Tori Monks!
Poet Laureate, Adam Gary; Catherine McCusker, National Trust manager at Leith Hill Place; Hazel Watson, Vice Chairman of Mole Valley; and Ted Gooda, Poetry Hub facilitator
Behind the magnificent pink entrance doors to Leith Hill Place, participants gathered in the library — where views across the Surrey Hills are breathtaking.
What a treat to write and be inspired in the same location that naturalist Charles Darwin conducted experiments and composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Hans Zimmer have found their muse!
It was a great turnout for the first meeting and I thoroughly enjoyed leading the session. We began by choosing a poem to read individually, and then used Gillian Clarke’s poem The Field Mouse as a starting point for our discussion. This led on to some longer writing about summer and small tragedies in the context of wider world events. Given the beautiful weather, we spilled out into the grounds (via the coffee shop and some generous helpings of cream tea or coffee and walnut cake!) to pen some words.
The Poetry Hub is a regular gathering which takes place in various locations all over Surrey. The idea is to connect and create through the power of poetry; reading and exploring poems and undertaking writing challenges in a cosy book club atmosphere. The emphasis is on having fun and being playful with words.
A great turnout in the Leith Hill Place library
I’m already looking forward to the next gathering which will take place on the last Sunday of June. Fingers crossed for great weather once more, so that we can head outside once more and soak up the stunning surroundings. It felt like such a privilege to be working in this space.
As a seasonal hub, we are operating once a fortnight over the summer months.
The hubs are free, and all are welcome, from beginners to seasoned writers. If you are coming to join us, please reserve your place in advance.
