Shaw's Corner Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Shaw's Corner
The front of Shaw's Corner.
Location	Ayot St Lawrence, near Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Built	Early 20th century
Architect	Smee, Mence & Houchin
Architectural style(s)	Arts and Crafts movement
Governing body	National Trust

Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name: Shaw's Corner
Designated	24 January 1967
Reference no.	1348110

Shaw's Corner was the home of a very famous Irish writer named George Bernard Shaw. He was a playwright, which means he wrote plays for the theater. Today, Shaw's Corner is a special museum run by the National Trust. You can visit the house and see how Shaw lived.

Inside, the rooms look much like they did when Shaw was there. You can also explore the garden and see a unique little building where he did a lot of his writing. The house itself is an Edwardian style building. It shows influences from the Arts and Crafts movement, which was a design style popular around that time. Shaw's Corner is in a small village called Ayot St Lawrence in Hertfordshire, England. It's about 6 miles from Welwyn Garden City.

History of Shaw's Corner
Shaw's Special Writing Hut
After Shaw's Time
Gallery
See also

History of Shaw's Corner

The house was built in 1902. It was originally meant to be a new rectory for the village church. A rectory is a house where a church leader lives. Local architects, Smee, Mence & Houchin, designed the house. They used materials found nearby for its construction.

The Church of England decided the house was too big for the village. So, they decided to rent it out instead. George Bernard Shaw and his wife, Charlotte Payne-Townshend, moved into the house in 1906. They loved it so much that they bought the house and its land in 1920. They paid £6,220 for it. At the same time, they made the garden bigger. Shaw bought more land from his friend, Apsley Cherry-Garrard. This made the total property size about 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).

Shaw's Special Writing Hut

George Bernard Shaw wrote many of his most important plays and books at Shaw's Corner. He had a very special place to write: a small, revolving hut in his garden. This hut was built by himself and was very private.

The tiny hut was only about 64 square feet (6 square meters). It was built on a central steel pole. It also had a circular track. This design allowed the hut to be rotated. Shaw could turn it to follow the sun's light throughout the day. He called this hut "London." This was a clever trick! If unwanted visitors came to the house, his staff could tell them he was away "visiting the capital" (meaning his hut).

After Shaw's Time

After George Bernard Shaw and his wife passed away, their ashes were brought to Shaw's Corner. They were mixed together. Then, they were scattered along the footpaths and around a statue of Saint Joan in their garden. This was a special way to keep them connected to their beloved home.

In 1967, Shaw's Corner was given a special status. It was named a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historic building that needs to be protected.