 | | SEE ALSO | | | Read some of Wordsworth's nature poems. | | | WEB LINKS | | The National Trust Wordsworth Trust William Wordsworth's birthplace
Wordsworth House, Main Street, Cockermouth CA13 9RX.
Tel: 01900 824805. now owned by theNational Trust The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. | | | FACTS | | Dove Cottage used to be a pub called the 'Dove and Olive'. Wordsworth said that if he hadn't been a poet he may have been a landscape gardener. Wordsworth's favourite flower was not the Daffodil but the Celandine! Wordsworth's legs were not considered 'ornamental' by female connoisseurs! Wordsworth was appointed Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria in 1843. He was Poet Laureate for 7 years, until . He is the only Poet Laureate in history who has failed to write a single official poem for the monarch. Wordsworth studied at St Johns College, Cambridge, where he read Mathematics but not very successfully! Pepper, the Wordsworths family dog during their time at Dove Cottage, was given to them by Sir Walter Scott. The great Scottish novelist was an amateur breeder and used to name his dogs according to their furs. The dogs were usually called Ginger, Pepper or Mustard! Wordsworth championed the idea of the Lake District being preserved as a sort of national property over 100 years before the National Park was established. Wordsworth was a fanatical campaigner against the railways being brought into the Lake District. He was instrumental in stopping the line being continued from Windermere through to Keswick Wordsworth had an illegitimate daughter, Caroline. Caroline was born after his youthful affair with a French lady, Annette Vallon, during the time that Wordsworth spent in France during the Revolution In 1813 he was appointed Stamp Distributor (revenue collector) for Westmorland - which meant he had a guaranteed income of around £400 per year. | | | PRINT THIS PAGE | | | View a printable version of this page. | |  |
| | The house hasn't changed much since Wordsworth's day and still has its original slate floors downstairs. Born in Cockermouth, the son of an attorney; William attended the infants' school in Penrith with Mary Hutchinson, his future wife. From 1779 to 1787, he attended Hawkshead Grammar School. Dove Cottage was built in the early part of the 17th century as a small inn. The inn closed in 1793. In 1799 Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved in. In 1802 William married Mary Hutchinson, his financial position having been improved by the repayment of a debt on the death of Lord Lonsdale.  | | Daffodils made famous in Wordsworth's poem of the same name. |
Their three oldest children were born at Dove Cottage - John in 1803
- Dora in 1804
- Thomas in 1806
They lived in the house until May 1808. The poet and most of his family are buried in Grasmere churchyard, along with Coleridge's son, Hartley.
Next to the churchyard gate is the famous gingerbread shop. It was built in 1660 as a schoolhouse. The little Wordsworths learned their multiplication tables here.  | | The Wordsworth graves in Grasmere church |
By Road
Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum are located south of Grasmere village, on the main A591 Kendal-Keswick road.
The nearest train station is Windermere (which is on the bus route). By Bus
There is an hourly bus service (no. 555) throughout the year. In summer, an open-top bus (no. W1) runs from Windermere to Grasmere every 20 minutes. Contact details and address
Grasmere, Cumbria LA22 9SH
Telephone. 015394 35544
Fax: +44 (0)15394 3574
E-mail: enquiries@wordsworth.org.uk
Tell us about your visit and send your digital photos of Dove Cottage or other Cumbrian attractions. E-mail cumbria@bbc.co.uk so we can include them for others to enjoy. |
