Wordsworth's Lake District Itineraries

Three of Cumbria's best heritage attractions, Wordsworth House, Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum & Art Gallery, and Rydal Mount have now collaborated to produce a full day itinerary for group travel organisers.

This itinerary, with all its elements, can now be booked with one call, exchange of email or fax to a single point of contact, saving you, as organiser a considerable amount of time and effort.

This day will offer an insight into the life of William Wordsworth, Britain's best-loved poet, author of the most famous poem in the English language, "I wandered lonely as a cloud".

Wordsworth House is located in Cockermouth in the northern Lake District. It was the home of William's father, John, and it is where the poet was born in 1770. John, was the agent for local nobility, the Lowthers, who owed a lot of property. This was an important position, so the Wordsworth's had the lifestyle of an affluent and influential family.

The National Trust now own this large Georgian property and they have restored it to how it would have been when the Wordsworth family lived there. It is a living museum and the costumed interpreters carry out many of the tasks which servants would have been busy with in the 18th century. The kitchens are in operation every day and the gardens are maintained in the way John Wordsworth's gardener would have worked.

Passengers can be dropped in Cockermouth town centre, close to the house.

Visitors make their own way around the property and interact with the costumed staff, who will explain what they are doing and answer any questions.

From Wordsworth House it is a 45 minute (26 mile) drive to Grasmere through fabulous countryside with views of lakes and mountains. William Wordsworth roamed this area as a youth and later as an adult, when he lived at Grasmere. The outstanding natural beauty of the area and the local people provided him with the inspiration for much of his work. We are working on a document for tour leaders which will provide a commentary about the journey in the context of Wordsworth's life and times.

Dove Cottage is in Grasmere and William discovered it while on a walking tour of the Lake District with his friend and fellow poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Wordsworth fell in love with the former inn, the surrounding landscape and the idea of a simple life in touch with nature and all its influences. Within a short period, he had taken a lease on the cottage and moved in with his sister, Dorothy on 20th December 1799. Later, William married and had children and had many famous visitors who all crammed into the small cottage.

They lived in Dove Cottage for eight years and these were the happiest, most inspired and productive times of the poet's life. Some call this period Wordsworth's "golden years" and it was then that he wrote, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" and most of "The Prelude" as well as many other works.

Today, Dove Cottage is open to the public and everyone can enjoy an entertaining and informative guided tour, full of anecdotes which provides an insight into the massive contrast between William's childhood in the grand house and his life here as a "simple, water-drinking bard".

Beside Dove Cottage and included in the cost of entry, is the Wordsworth Museum and Art Gallery. The Museum shows a fascinating collection of artefacts relating to Wordsworth's life and the period in which he lived, while the Art Gallery has a programme of special exhibitions, often featuring pictures by the world's most recognised artists, such as Constable, Turner, Blake and many more. You can find details on our website www.wordsworth.org.uk. There is also a gallery which features contemporary art on the site.

The Villa Colombina restaurant is also on the site and the chef has produced a special menu for groups. He is sensitive to the requirements of visitors from different countries and will make every effort to provide suitable food for everyone.

The Dove Cottage site has ample parking for cars and space for coaches to stop. There is a large coach and car park within 200 yards.

Your last stop, Rydal Mount, the last home of William Wordsworth is a short drive from Dove Cottage, but why not take the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views over Grasmere and Rydal Water and walk through some Lake District Woodlands by taking the "Coffin Path"? This is a 45 minute walk up and down some gentle hills. It's not too demanding and we can provide a basic map of the route, but be sure members of your group are wearing suitable footwear (trainers or walking boots) and are aware that the ground could be wet. It may be possible to provide a guide for this walk if booked far enough in advance.

Passengers can be dropped at the entrance to Rydal Mount and there is ample parking close by.

Having lived in various other properties in Grasmere, the Wordsworth family rented Rydal Mount in 1813 and stayed there for 46 years until Mary passed away in 1859, nine years after William died while out walking. William spent a lot of time in his later years planning and planting a wonderful garden, in fact it is said that if he had not been a poet, he could have been as famous as a landscape gardener. The current curator has dedicated himself to re-creating the garden as Wordsworth himself would have wished and there is something to see throughout the year. Guided tours of the house and garden are available.

The house is open to the public and contains many mementoes of the Wordsworth's years here. It is owned by William Wordsworth's descendants, so the collection is being added to constantly and the atmosphere of a family home is maintained.