Allan Bank
Alex Saint
Allan Bank is a curious property. It was built in the very early 1800s to the initial infuriation of William Wordsworth who, from across the vale in Dove Cottage, watched it rise like a blot on the landscape. But the position of the house and its uninterrupted view across Grasmere proved beguiling and, once it was built, he and his young family promptly moved in, declaring it ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found’. We are inclined to agree with him, as did his contemporaries who frequently came to stay and party with the Wordsworths – and more recently Canon Rawnsley, founder of the National Trust who bequeathed it to the Trust.
The historic villa combines a small, informal art gallery with a giant indoor mural space – a place for artists to explore nature, with plenty of space to sit and enjoy the views. A blank canvas of a house in which to play, create, paint and write (on the walls if you like) – or to simply sit by the fire and chat with friends. It really does feel like a living home and we love it.
