The story of the Oxfordshire house where Dylan Thomas wrote Under Milk Wood
The Manor House at South Leigh is where one of Britain's greatest 20th century poets produced one of his most famous works.


The delightful, 17th-century Manor House at South Leigh, eight miles from Oxford, has a unique place in British literary history. It was the home of Dylan Thomas from 1947-49, bought for him by the wife of historian AJP Taylor, Margaret, who was infatuated with the Welsh poet.
Thomas and his wife Caitlin had previously been renting a summer house at the Taylors' home – not that he and the historian shared anything other than animosity, with Taylor said to have thought Thomas a scrounger and a liar. No doubt Taylor's views were hardly helped by the fact that his wife had fallen in love with the Welshman, and his letters suggest that he was happy to string her along in order to keep her patronage.
In 1947 the historian's wife even bought Manor House for the purpose of letting the Thomases live there – it was the home where he wrote much of Under Milk Wood.
Thomas didn’t finished penning the BBC radio drama until he moved to America a few years later, but to his devotees it was worth the wait. The work’s fame resonates even today.
For the past 28 years, the house has been the much-cherished home of Graham and Amelia McNeillie and their family. Now, however, they have decided to downsize –an idea they say that ‘simmered at the back of their minds’ when their children moved to Cambridge and finally took root when they bought a thatched cottage in that part of the world.
The four-bedroom former manor house in almost three acres of gardens and grounds went on the market with Knight Frank in Oxford at a guide price of £1.65m, and quickly found one buyer, then another. Both sales fell through due to problems elsewhere in the chain, but the place is currently under offer.
It’s a delightful house built of limestone, with rendered walls under a slate roof, which comes with a guest cottage and a small bothy – it was in the latter that Thomas worked while living here.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The house looks out in all directions across the lovely grounds which take in formal gardens, a small stream bordered by a topiaried walk and even a paddock. It’s hard not to imagine being inspired to write in such a setting.
After two years in the house, however, Thomas himself eventually decided that he wouldn’t write serious poetry again unless he returned to South Wales.
The Taylors sold the house and bought one in Wales, the Boat House at Laugharne, which they again rented to the Thomases. The damage to the Taylors’ marriage was done, however: the pair separated a year later and divorced soon afterwards.
The Manor House in South Leigh is currently under offer with Knight Frank – see more pictures here.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Exploring the countryside is essential for our wellbeing, but Right to Roam is going backwards
Campaigners in England often point to Scotland as an example of how brilliantly Right to Roam works, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, says Patrick Galbraith.
By Patrick Galbraith Published
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
By Toby Keel Published
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producers
Stormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in Kent
North Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
By James Fisher Published
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streets
This six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
By James Fisher Published
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive street
Winnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
By Lotte Brundle Last updated
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow down
The glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for sale
The five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
By Lotte Brundle Published