[Vwoolf] Virginia Woolf, Syvia Plath, and a decommissioned lighthouse (Belle Tout)

[kllevenback at att.net]

A dear friend of mine living in Australia just wrote to ask the following; he also included the attached photo.

Can anyone help?

“I have a literary favour to ask. On a clifftop in Sussex stands a decommissioned lighthouse that rejoices under the name of Belle Tout (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Tout_lighthouse). My question is this. Is it true that Sylvia Plath stayed there while writing some of the poems in her posthumously published collection Crossing the water? There is no particular reason you should know, but with your literary connections I thought perhaps you might know where to look. There is a solitary passing reference to it on-line, but since it's the only one, I must treat it with caution. 

My curiosity was aroused by a possible synchronicity. Of all the writerly retreats that Plath could possibly have chosen, why choose the only one that looks out on the world's premier suicide spot, Beachy Head? The attached photo shows the view that Plath would have had from her window. Given the acres of print that have been written about her, you would think that other writers would have spotted the premonitory connection. But apparently not. 

Surely I am not the first? Any guidance, or indeed incisive thoughts, would be welcome.”

With thanks--
Karen Levenback
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