Orwell’s grave

The headstone of Eric Arthur Blair (George Orwell)

Tucked away at the back of the graveyard that surrounds the rather unassuming church of All Saints in the village of Sutton Courtenay lies the resting place of Eric Arthur Blair. It’s one of those quaint village graveyards with imposing yew trees that cast a long shadow across the mosaic of regimented headstones.

Visitors could easily miss the literary giant’s headstone on a cursory visit this Oxfordshire village; for a start, his pseudonymous pen-name, George Orwell, is absent. It adds more mystery to the author whose life was already shrouded in intrigue and ambiguity.

All Saints Church, Sutton Courtenay