Barnhill
Barnhill is the old farmhouse on the Isle of Jura, off the coast of Scotland, that Orwell escaped to from London. It is a lonely desolate two-story house, at the northern end of the island; it can only be reached by hiking four miles after the end of the only track leading to it. Although part of Orwell’s life after the writing of Animal Farm, he had had the idea of finding a special retreat where he could escape to from the pressures of London for some time.[1] This retreat would be Barnhill; it was a place that played an important role in his last years. In one possible connection with Animal Farm Orwell did have some farm animals and grew vegetables while at the farmhouse.
It was at Barnhill that Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four during 1947 and 1948, while seriously ill.[2] He lived on the island for extended periods at different times from 1946 up to 1950, the year of his death. There has also been a play penned, The Year of the Rat covering Orwell’s time on Jura while writing Nineteen Eighty-Four.[3] In this play both Boxer the horse and Napoleon the pig from Animal Farm appear as dreams in Orwell’s mind.[4]
On Jura he was known to the locals by his real name Eric Blair, rather than by his pen name George Orwell. Barnhill has since become something of a shrine for Orwell enthusiasts, to the point that those who rent Barnhill in the summer complain of being pestered by Orwell's fans, despite the remote location.[5]
[1] Shelden, Michael, Orwell: The Authorised Biography, Heinemann, London, 1991, pages 438 and 439.
[2] orwelltoday.com, visiting Orwell’s Barnhill, http://www.orwelltoday.com/jurabarnhillvisit.shtml [24/05/2010].
[3] Whatsonstage.com, The Year of the Rat, http://www.whatsonstage.com/reviews/theatre/london/E8821205854334/The+Year+of+the+Rat+%28Leeds%29.html [26/05/2010].
[4] telegraph.co.uk, Year of the rat: A wasted opportunity to get to the heart of George Orwell, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3671802/Year-of-the-Rat-A-wasted-opportunity-to-get-to-the-heart-of-George-Orwell.html [26/05/2010].
[5] forargyll.com, Guests at Jura’s Barnhill pestered by Orwell’s stalkers, http://forargyll.com/2009/01/guests-at-juras-barnhill-pestered-by-orwell-stalkers/ [24/05/2010].
