War poets' meeting place revealed as Baberton Golf Club

Neil McLennan found clues in letters held at Southern Illnois University

An Edinburgh golf club held potentially the "most powerful meeting" of English literature in the 20th century, new research has revealed.

It has now been discovered that war poets Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves met at Baberton Golf Club in Juniper Green.

A university lecturer searched libraries and archives for clues to solve the mystery.

The answer was found in letters from 1917 at Southern Illinois University.

'Important collaboration'

Neil McLennan, a former head of history at Tynecastle School who now works as a senior lecturer at Aberdeen University, said where the men met had remained unknown for 100 years.

He said: "Confirming this venue has been something that I really got between my teeth.

"We always knew the three men met in Edinburgh but not where.

"Many may wonder why this matters but it is an important piece of the city's literary history.

"One of Edinburgh's golf clubs can say it held potentially the most powerful meeting of English literature in the 20th century.

"The three most significant war poets were there.

"Owen is often referred to as the most powerful war poet, perhaps even the most powerful poet in English literature and this meeting was key to his success."

Alan Goodman Baberton Golf Club Captain said: "We were excited to learn that this historic meeting took place in our clubhouse and led to such an important collaboration between three of Britain's greatest war poets.

"We intend to create a permanent reminder of this meeting for members and visitors to view."