It was there that he wrote “And did those feet in ancient time”, words that became the opening line of one of the nation’s favourite hymns, and started work on “Milton: A Poem”.

The brick-and-flint cottage, under whose thatched roof Blake and his wife are said to have read Paradise Lost naked, came onto the market in 2013 after being privately-owned by one family since 1928.

Although the asking price was £650,000, the Blake Society was able to buy the cottage last year for £495,000 after raising more than half a million pounds. The purchase was made in 2015 thanks in part to a two-year campaign, led by Russell Brand, Stephen Fry and Philip Pullman.