Wordsworth Grasmere

At Wordsworth Grasmere you’ve four settings to explore. The first, Dove Cottage, was Wordsworth’s home for nine years. Next to this is the garden-orchard which has been restored as ‘the domestic slip of mountain’ William and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth created. Beyond that is the woodland; a place for wild play and natural inspiration. Finally, there’s the museum with its collection of original manuscripts and hands-on activities.

Dove Cottage looks much as it would have done when the Wordsworths lived there. You get a real sense of their life as moments from their poems, journals and letters are recreated around the house.

The garden and surrounding countryside are equally delightful and you can easily see why it brought such joy and solace to William and Dorothy.

Wordsworth Grasmere is a family-friendly place and you don’t need a degree in literature to enjoy it. Experience day-to-day life in the 1800s, look out for cheeky mice, explore the sensory garden with a bug house and a pond, and write your own poems with a quill. There’s even a Wordsworth Minecraft.

Both classic and contemporary poetry is celebrated here and it’s the venue for informal poetry writing groups for young and old.