Famed fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia was among the pieces penned by Lewis at The Kilns—quite literally penned, in fact, as he did not like to use a typewriter but, rather, wrote longhand at his desk. There are many claims of inspiration for the series here, including English wardrobes and both guests and staff that inspired characters such as Lucy Pevensie and Puddleglum. Other inspiration may have been found on Lewis’s routine walk into and throughout Oxford, where he passed the unique door pictured above right. Some claim the imagery at the door’s center resembles Aslan the lion character, while others notice the two golden fauns on either side that may have inspired the creation of Mr. Tumnus.
