The thatched Grade II* cottage[1] at 12 Woodgate, Helpston, originally consisted of five smaller tenement buildings, that were joined into a single structure at a later date.

[3] In May 2007, the Trust gained £1.27 million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund[4] and commissioned Jefferson Sheard Architects to create a new landscape design and Visitor Centre, including a cafe, shop and exhibition space.

The Cottage was restored using traditional building methods and is open to the public.

In 2013 the John Clare Trust received a further grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help preserve the building[5] and provide educational activities for young people visiting the cottage.

[6] The garden behind the cottage is maintained by volunteers, and planted with varieties which would have been seen in Clare's time.