Welcome to William's childhood home

Wordsworth House was the birthplace of Wordsworth. He was born on the 7th April 1770 and Cockermouth was his family home until 1783. When the young William lived in Wordsworth House it must have been a lively, bustling home. Imagine the noise, smells and clutter generated by a household of two parents, five children, four servants, and a variety of animals!

Today, the National Trust has recreated this environment, so that visitors to Wordsworth House get a sense of what the poet's early years were really like. Visitors may encounter some of the Wordsworth's servants going about their daily chores - washing, cooking, cleaning. There is even a chance to join in, if you don't mind hard work! There will be a number of characters in costume at the House every day: a selection from the maid, the nurse, the man servant and the clerk.

Using the results of several years of in-depth research, the house and garden have been taken back to the 1770s, right down to the last knife and fork. In some rooms, visitors can actually touch and make use of reproduction furnishings on display. Now, stepping in through the front door, visitors become enclosed in the fascinating world of this 18th-century family home. Replica toys, furniture and furnishings have been created for you to enjoy.

This is visit to remember, for adults and children alike.