This map plots the settings and references in Never Let Me Go
To start exploring, click a red pin
Littlehampton - Credit:
Charlesdrakew
A number of key events take place in English seaside towns. The recovery centres for donors are also often located by the sea, perhaps for the therapeutic qualities that 'sea air' is reputed to have.
These locations also serve to push the story of Never Let Me Go out to the fringes of England, where the characters are perhaps less likely to interact with the rest of society.
The towns of Cromer in Norfolk, and Littlehampton in Sussex are the seaside settings for two important episodes. The first of these, Cromer, is a scene in which there is much hope, while in Littlehampton the hopes of the characters are revealed to be in vain.
Cromer - Credit: Gernot Keller
Hailsham is a town in East Sussex. It is unclear whether this is the inspiration or intended setting for the school in Never Let Me Go. However, its credentials as an historic English market town means that its name contributes to the traditional Englishness that permeates the novel.
Cromer crabs - Credit:
Nick Saltmarsh
Cromer is a seaside resort in Norfolk. Like many of the places Kathy visits, it is a popular tourist site. It is particularly well known for its crabs.
The town of Littlehampton is located on the south coast of England, in West Sussex, and is best known as a seaside resort. As the setting for the novel’s climactic scene, it continues the theme of Englishness that has been present from the start, and provides a more pessimistic counterpart to the other seaside town visited by Kathy and Tommy, Cromer.
Littlehampton - Credit:
PhilipC