art & culture of grasmere & rydal...

Dove Cottage & the Wordsworth Museum 

Home of William Wordsworth from 1799 to 1808, his most prolific and inspirational years as a poet. Discover the house and family on a guided tour - many of the Wordsworth's household items are on display, including furniture, family possessions and portraits. The Wordsworth Museum & Art Gallery next door houses a collection illustrating the life of the poet and his contemporaries through manuscripts, books and art. The museum also hosts a changing programme of exhibitions exploring various themes of Romanticism. Café/restaurant and shop on site. Dove Cottage is partially accessible for the disabled; museum & art gallery fully accessible.

Rydal Mount & Gardens

William Wordsworth's ‘best loved family home' for 37 years until his death in 1850. He moved to Rydal Mount in 1813 with his wife, 3 children (two had died the previous year), sister Dorothy and sister-in-law Sara Hutchinson and adapted the home to suit his lifestyle - adding another storey to accommodate his study. Some of his personal effects are on view including letters relating to his appointment as Poet Laureate. Outside, the four-acre fellside garden, landscaped by Wordsworth, was designed to blend in with the surrounding landscape and is virtually unchanged today.