About
Home to the poet William Wordsworth. Whilst living at Dove Cottage with his family, Wordsworth wrote many of his greatest poems and his sister Dorothy kept her Grasmere journal. Wordsworth Grasmere tells the story of this remarkable time in his life. Step into another century as you experience the sights, sounds and smells of Dove Cottage. Stroll through the Garden-Orchard, which Wordsworth called 'the loveliest spot man hath ever found'. Play and explore in The Woodland, a wild and relaxed space. Discover Wordsworth's radical and creative life in the Museum and enjoy views of Grasmere from the Viewing Station. Our Cafe serves locally sourced food and drink.
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What people are saying
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So, so worthwhile! We were prepared for a very tourist-oriented tour and were content to peruse Dove Cottage -- but it ended being more than we had anticipated. Fantastic walk through timeline of Wordsworth's The Prelude; equally, a fair few activities to keep kids entertained (adults too tbh; we certainly engaged in most of them -- but I won't go into detail as it's more fun to discover something unanticipated!).
A wonderful museum that is well laid out. It was more hands on than I am used to museums being. I especially appreciated how the museum set the house up as it would have been at the time. The lighting was just the windows and candles.There seemed to be a lot to see there and I wish we had more time to explore the day we visited.
What a wonderful and charming place to visit. Modern, super well-organised and a lot to enjoy as you learn more about William and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth and their lives (they spent over eight years of "plain living, but high thinking" here), their connection with nature and Grasmere and the important role that his sis played in his poetry, as well William & Mary's family life. First of all we visited Dove Cottage with a great tour with Hannah. There is a short intro video in the stables then you can walk around the cottage with lots of manuscripts and stories. Then you can go for a walk around the woodlands, the garden - make sure you go up to the Moss Hut for lovely views and even a glimpse of Grasmere. Lastly, come back to the museum building itself for exhibitions, the chance to see real original manuscripts and a lot of information about William's life. Lastly, note that the ticket is valid for a year!
The cottage and surrounding areas were so charming, no wonder Wordsworth called it the fairest place on earth. Loved the short film they showed before the cottage tour. The house itself was very well maintained and retained the old atmosphere of a simple, unaffected lifestyle.
It may have just been me but I found it a bit confusing at first as to where to go for tickets but eventually saw the signs. Unfortunately we had arrived a little late & because the next tour was 40min away meant it would be too late for us leaving so we didn't tour inside Dove cottage. However the grounds were lovely to look at and took some pictures of the cottages from outside. There's a little cafe we got a sandwich, cake & drink & sat outside. Staff were all very friendly & the Sensory Garden we really enjoyed too.
Memorable museum, with a good little video to set the mood, and then time to explore the cottage, it's gardens. The musuem is also informative and dives into the details of several poems as well. Great place to visit when the weather turns bad.
Features
Service options
On-site services
Highlights
Fireplace
Great cocktails
Great tea selection
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Amenities
Picnic tables
Public toilet
Slides
Swings
Crowd
Groups
Children
Good for kids
Kid-friendly hikes
Playground
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Reviews
What people are saying
Rating Distribution
So, so worthwhile! We were prepared for a very tourist-oriented tour and were content to peruse Dove Cottage -- but it ended being more than we had anticipated. Fantastic walk through timeline of Wordsworth's The Prelude; equally, a fair few activities to keep kids entertained (adults too tbh; we certainly engaged in most of them -- but I won't go into detail as it's more fun to discover something unanticipated!).
A wonderful museum that is well laid out. It was more hands on than I am used to museums being. I especially appreciated how the museum set the house up as it would have been at the time. The lighting was just the windows and candles.There seemed to be a lot to see there and I wish we had more time to explore the day we visited.
What a wonderful and charming place to visit. Modern, super well-organised and a lot to enjoy as you learn more about William and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth and their lives (they spent over eight years of "plain living, but high thinking" here), their connection with nature and Grasmere and the important role that his sis played in his poetry, as well William & Mary's family life. First of all we visited Dove Cottage with a great tour with Hannah. There is a short intro video in the stables then you can walk around the cottage with lots of manuscripts and stories. Then you can go for a walk around the woodlands, the garden - make sure you go up to the Moss Hut for lovely views and even a glimpse of Grasmere. Lastly, come back to the museum building itself for exhibitions, the chance to see real original manuscripts and a lot of information about William's life. Lastly, note that the ticket is valid for a year!
The cottage and surrounding areas were so charming, no wonder Wordsworth called it the fairest place on earth. Loved the short film they showed before the cottage tour. The house itself was very well maintained and retained the old atmosphere of a simple, unaffected lifestyle.
It may have just been me but I found it a bit confusing at first as to where to go for tickets but eventually saw the signs. Unfortunately we had arrived a little late & because the next tour was 40min away meant it would be too late for us leaving so we didn't tour inside Dove cottage. However the grounds were lovely to look at and took some pictures of the cottages from outside. There's a little cafe we got a sandwich, cake & drink & sat outside. Staff were all very friendly & the Sensory Garden we really enjoyed too.
Memorable museum, with a good little video to set the mood, and then time to explore the cottage, it's gardens. The musuem is also informative and dives into the details of several poems as well. Great place to visit when the weather turns bad.