Others on the list include Jane Austen’s Chawton’s cottage, and Oxford’s Eagle and Child pub—frequented by authors J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, who created the mysterious worlds of Middle Earth and Narnia.
Sherwood Forest, with its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood, and the Royal Shakespeare’s Theatre, in Shakespeare’s birth city Stratford-upon-Avon, also ranked 35th.
Darren Hardy, author and director of editorial programs at Amazon, who commissioned the research to launch Kindle Storyteller AwardCelebrating the best self-published stories, he said, “It’s an exciting time to be in the independent publishing business.
“Featured sites such as the Shakespeare’s Globe and the Bronte Sisters’ House have cultural significance, and it is great to see them feature so prominently in our research.”
Professor Elick Boehmer, one of the leading figures in the field of English literature at the University of Oxford added: “The British Isles are rich in a lively literary tradition that stretches through time, from the medieval period onwards, and across space, scattered throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“In Britain, you almost feel the load in some literary setting of the land, trees and surroundings, with the writer’s presence, or the sense of how they interact with context – like Coleridge Hills at Quantock.
“The walking paths he made through those hills still exist today, and as we walk them we can imagine him drawing his lines of poetry – like ‘The Ancient Mariner,’ looking out over the Bristol Channel at passing ships from all over the world.
“Some of my favorite literary sites, such as Coleridge’s Nether Stowey, Brontës’ Haworth, or D. H. Lawrence’s Eastwood, also feature really wonderful and important homes where the rooms in which writers were born or wrote some of their major works are kept for all generations.”
The study also revealed the country’s favorite British writers – with Charles Dickens, who can count “Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol” among his works, featured in the foreground.
Charlotte Bronte and George Orwell followed – while it was Emily Bronte and Virginia Woolf, the legendary novelists who paved the way with their literary classics including Wuthering Heights and Mrs. Dalloway.
On average, Brits read nine books a year, and story lovers read them for an average of 39 minutes per day – although 53 percent would like they could bury themselves in a book longer.
Immersion in another world (51 percent), brain development (48 percent), and knowledge enhancement (45 percent) were among the main reasons for enjoying reading.
When it comes to favorite genres, crime (30 percent) ranked higher than drama (28 percent), biopics (26 percent), and action (21 percent).
And the study, which was conducted via OnePoll, found that book lovers are also passionate writers.
More than a third (34 percent) enjoy writing as a hobby, with 61 percent of those writing for pleasure at least twice a week.
Darren Hardy, Amazon, added: “Not only are we a proud nation of book lovers and have a rich literary history spanning across the UK, we are also a huge inspiration for the writing we engage with.
“It is amazing that so many people have inspired writing themselves after reading books, and it shows that writing is a hobby available to everyone.
“We’re bringing more authors to readers than ever before, and we look forward to seeing stories presented for this year’s Kindle Storyteller Award—some perhaps inspired by some of our famous literary milestones, and associated authors.”
The Kindle Storyteller Prize is open to entries until August 31, 2022.
Top 35 Literary Sites – According to Readers’ Votes:
- Haworth – home of the Bronte sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne
- Shakespeare’s Globe, London
- Shawton Jane Austen’s Country House
- 221B Baker Street – Sherlock Holmes House and Sherlock Holmes Museum
- Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, regularly visited by JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis
- Sherwood Forest
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon
- The British Library, London
- Dove’s Cottage in Grasmere, Lake County – home of William Wordsworth
- Hilltop house in near Sawrey, Lake District – Beatrix Potter’s house
- Whitby – The setting for Bram Stoker’s 1897 Dracula
- Pooh Sticks Bridge, Buckhurst Park Estate, East Sussex – Associated with AA Milne
- Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Chatsworth House, named in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
- Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum, Portsmouth
- Jane Eyre Trail, Peak District
- Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey
- Greenway, Agatha Christie’s Retreat in Devon
- Roald Dahl’s Gipsy House, Great Missenden
- Keats House, London
- Birthplace of Thomas Hardy, and Max Gate House, Dorset
- Sedbergh Book City, Lake District
- Walter Scott Abbotsford, near Selkirk, Scotland
- Dylan Thomas Boathouse, Logarn, Wales
- John Rylands Library, Manchester
- 48 Dottie Street, Charles Dickens House
- John Milton Cottage, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire
- Birthplace of DH Lawrence and Haag Farm, Nottingham
- Elizabeth Gaskell House, Manchester
- Lamb House, Rye, East Sussex – associated with Henry James
- Pittman, East Sussex, home of Rudyard Kipling
- Shelley Lodge, Marlowe, Mary Shelley’s home
- Woolwich, and central London, are linked with Bernardine Evaristo
- Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stewie, Samuel Taylor Coleridge House
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