C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast in 1899. He grew up in the family home called Little Lea, where he began writing as a child due to disabilities in his thumbs. As a teenager, he was educated at English public schools but returned to Little Lea during holidays. The document provides details about churches in Belfast that were important to Lewis, including where he was baptized and a memorial window he donated in memory of his parents. It describes sites in Belfast that were inspirations for his Chronicles of Narnia books.

1. BELFAST, 12 SEPTEMBER 2009

2. C. S. Lewis was born on 29 November 1899 in Belfast at
the Ballyhackamore House, No 47 Dundela Avenue
(now a block of flats), to Albert & Flora Lewis
A plague marks the site but we are not able to show any
photo as we did not visit the place (we walked so much
the whole day that we were too tired to locate the site)

3. Little Lea on the Circular Road was the Lewis’ family home from 1905 until
1930; today it is a private residence & it is not “little”

4. It was here that C. S.
Lewis started
writing as a hobby
This was due to a
disability in his
thumbs which
meant he could not
make things with
his hands
C. S. Lewis & his
older brother
Warren used to play
for hours in the
attic—writing
stories & drawing
Photo courtesy of the Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton, Illinois pictures

5. As C. S. Lewis
was educated at
English public
schools as a
teenager, he did
not stay here for
a prolonged
period of time
To the young
Lewis, the big
house “seemed
less like a house
than a city”

6. St. Mark’s Church was
the Lewis family
church
The church was
designed by William
Butterfield in 1876-
1878
The naves, aisles, &
the tower were
completed in 1878 at
the cost of £10,000

7. Primrose
Henderson’s great-
grandfather, Sir
William Ewart,
spearheaded the
building of this
church
After his death, the
family paid for the
cost of building on
the chancel &
transepts
This was completed
in 1891

8. C. S. Lewis
was baptized
by his
maternal
grandfather,
Rev. Thomas
Hamilton
(the first
rector of this
church) on 29
January 1899

9. This memorial
stained-glass
window was
presented by C.
S. Lewis & his
brother to the
church in 1933 in
memory of their
father & mother
It depicts (from
right to left) St.
Mark, St. James,
& St. Luke

10. St. Mark is believed to
be the first bishop of
Alexandria & died
there
It is claimed his body
was brought to Venice
& was buried in San
Marco
St. Mark’s symbol, a
winged lion, is the
symbol of Venice
Can you see the
winged lion behind
the apostle?

11. St. James’ shrine is at
Compostela in Spain, a
medieval place of
pilgrimage
Hence, he is seen with the
pilgrim’s bag & staff, &
the pilgrim’s badge, the
scallop shell
He holds a silver chalice,
probably similar to the
one which Arthur Lewis
& his family presented to
the church in 1908 in
memory of their father,
Richard Lewis

12. St. Luke is
depicted with as a
writer with an ox
behind him

13. The lectern was
presented to the
church by the
cousins of C. S. Lewis
The eagle is the
symbol of St. John &
represents the Word
of God (the open
Bible behind it)
being carried on
eagle’s wings across
the world

14. In William
Butterfield’s
design, the
Communion
Table is the most
important object
in the church &
stands higher
than the pulpit &
the lectern

16. As a young boy,
C. S. Lewis
would have
visited his
maternal
grandfather who
lived in the Old
Rectory
Standing before
the door as he
waits of it be
opened, what
would he be
looking at?

17. The “lion”
door handle
Could this
have inspired
the character
of Aslan in
the Narnia
books?

18. C.S. Lewis was a
pupil here for a
short period
He was there for
the autumn term
in 1910 as a
boarder
He had to
withdraw due to
respiratory
problems

20. Outside the
Holywood Arches
Library is a sculpture
of the character of
Digory Kirke in The
Magician’s Nephew
(the sixth book of
Lewis’ Chronicles of
Narna)
It is through Digory
Kirke’s wardrobe,
built from the wood
of a magic apple tree,
that the Pevensie
children first enter
Narnia

21. The Linen
Hall Library,
founded in
1788, is the
oldest library
in Belfast
It houses
books by and
about C. S.
Lewis