T S Eliot, one of the 20th century's greatest poets, traced his ancestry back to the village.  One of his best known poems, the second of his Four Quartets, is titled East Coker and it was here that he chose as his final resting place.  His ashes are interred in St Michael and All Angles Church and the Northwest corner, where a memorial plaque commemorating his final resting place is found, is known colloquially as 'the Eliot Corner'.  Literary pilgrims and other visitors from across the world visit St Michael's to pay their respects to this deeply religious and enormously influential writer.​In our planning we have been very mindful of the need to preserve the dignity and solemnity of this internationally important monument, but we also believe that opening up the West end of the church, by removing fixed pews and old radiators, new opportunities to better present the Eliot Corner, new ways to offer information about the poet and his connection to the village, and opportunities to generally improve the visitor experience, will emerge.  ​We will work closely with the T S Eliot Foundation to ensure that any alterations are done with great care. We take our responsibility as guardians of his final resting place very seriously.​We have produced a booklet about T S Eliot and his connection to East Coker which can be bought in the village (from the church, the café or the pub) on from our online shop.