AD | This post is sponsored by Very and features a gifted dress and Kindle for the campaign.
There’s a specific kind of person who, upon being asked to choose a character archetype to embody a “main character moment”, instantly thinks: romantic, floaty dress, gothic tower, Wuthering Heights. I am that person, what can I say?
I’d been meaning to re-read Wuthering Heights for a while thanks to the new film adaptation, and Severndroog Castle had been sitting on my London to-visit list for almost as long. The Spring weather was perfect for galavanting around in a gorgeous dress. Everything just aligned.
The Perfect Spot for a Romantic Read: a Castle!
Severndroog Castle sits in the middle of Oxleas Wood in southeast London, and it is genuinely one of those places that makes you feel like you hallucinated it.
An 18th century Gothic folly rising out of ancient woodland on a hilltop, with views across London behind it and even a tearoom… what a hidden gem!
Perching on a massive tree stump with a castle behind me while reading about Heathcliff on the moors? Very much the energy.
The Romantic Lead Dress
Very’s spring collection is filled with lovely dresses.
I picked this black and white polka dot one, with a tiered ruffle hem that I am absolutely obsessed with.
It moves beautifully when you walk, especially in the light Spring breeze. It just felt perfect for a romantic yet modern vibe.
The Main Character Thing
“Main character energy” gets used a lot online, to the point where it risks becoming meaningless, but I think what it actually points to is something real:
Those moments where you’re living with a sense of intention, where the setting and the mood and even what you’re wearing feels like it all belongs together.
It doesn’t have to be performative is what I mean.
It can just be choosing to visit the castle you’ve been wanting to check out, wearing a dress that makes you happy, and reading the book you’ve been meaning to return to.
Outfit details:
- I paired it with my Topshop red corduroy jacket from Vinted (worn open, then tied at the waist, then carried… it had many roles)
- Black Dr Marten shoes.
- Red socks felt appropriately dramatic!
- Green nails to match the gorgeous matcha green Kindle.
- A beautiful moonstone necklace gifted by a friend for my birthday.
Wuthering Heights, again
I first read Wuthering Heights as a teenager and loved it with the specific intensity only possible at that age.
Re-reading it now is a different experience. I’m a whole lot less patient with Heathcliff, let’s put it that way!
Mostly I’m just in awe of Emily Brontë. She wrote just one bookand it contains more atmosphere than most writers manage in a lifetime.
Reading it at an actual Gothic castle, in a floaty dress, was a lot. Idyllic in fact. I was completely lost in another world for a few hours and I regret nothing.
The Kindle, and What’s On It
I’ve always been a physical books person, and I’m especially a sucker for a pretty hardback with sprayed edges.
But I’ve come around to the Kindle for particular moments. Travel is the main one: commuting to the office, afternoons in cafes, and weekend wanders.
It lives in my bag without taking up a lot of space, giving me more opportunities to read whenever I get a moment. A much better device to pull out on the train or bus than my phone, for sure!
Currently on it: Wuthering Heights, obviously. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is queued up next.
Severndroog is open to visitors on Sundays and sits within Oxleas Wood, which is free to walk through and genuinely one of the most beautiful green spaces in southeast London. The tearoom is open daily.
I definitely recommend it, especially if, like me, you need your surroundings to match your reading material!
What makes you feel like you’re a main character?
All the best,
