2 Polstead Road, the Oxford home of the Lawrence family between 1896 and 1921, together with the bungalow built in the back garden for the youthful T. E. Lawrence, is an important piece of Lawrence history.
With the death of the elderly owner, concerns have been raised for the future of the building. Working with the local councillor Liz Wade, the T. E. Lawrence Society has embarked on the process of gathering information showing the historic importance of the house to support an application to Historic England (formerly English Heritage) to have the building listed as one of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
We are grateful to have received support from around the world, including some splendid photographs from some of our American members who have made relatively recent visits to the house.
It is important to bear in mind that the Society’s objective at this point must be focused on gaining the Listed status for 2 Polstead Road which will protect its historic integrity. Although newspaper reports have talked about the house possibly being purchased in the future, it is important to bear in mind that this would be an entirely separate decision which would necessarily have to involve other organisations better resourced than the Society to take on custody of the house. The Society will keep members informed on how the application progresses.