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Wordsworth Grasmere

Creative Tourist

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Wordsworth Grasmere

Dove Cottage, Grasmere, LA22 9SH
015394 35544
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  • Tuesday10:00am - 4:00pm
  • Wednesday10:00am - 4:00pm
  • Thursday10:00am - 4:00pm
  • Friday10:00am - 4:00pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

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Gareth Gardner
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Nestled in the beautiful historic hamlet in Grasmere, overlooking the lake, sits Dove Cottage, home of the great English poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. Here in the early 1800s, William Wordsworth wrote many of his greatest poems and his sister Dorothy kept her famous Grasmere journal, and Wordsworth Grasmere tells the story of this remarkable time in their lives. Discover Wordsworth’s radical and creative life in the Museum, enjoy views of Grasmere from the Viewing Station or visit the café, which serves locally sourced food and drink.

Regular events take place in situ and online, and include open mics, showcases by the Dove Cottage Poets writing group and contemporary poetry readings, often hosted by Forward Prize- winning Kim Moore (including the likes of George Szirtes and Holly Hopkins). As the website says: ‘From book launches to writing groups to poetry nights, there’s always something going on at Wordsworth Grasmere.’

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Literary places in Cumbria
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What's on near Wordsworth Grasmere

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Confessional Festival

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Where to go near Wordsworth Grasmere

Cumbria
Museum
The Wordsworth Museum

Next door to Dove Cottage, Wordsworth’s first family home, is the Wordsworth Museum, which houses an unsurpassed collection of the Wordsworths’ letters, journals and poems.

Dove Cottage, Grasmere, image courtesy of venue
Cumbria
Museum
Dove Cottage

Dove Cottage is where William Wordsworth lived and wrote, and where the Wordsworth Trust continues that work today with poets in residence and public programmes.

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Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Forest Side Restaurant
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Restaurant
Forest Side Restaurant

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Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
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Museum
Allan Bank

Once home to William Wordsworth, this historic villa now combines a small, informal art gallery with a giant indoor mural space.

The Merzbarn today, courtesy Littoral Arts Trust
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Gallery
Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbarn

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The Armitt Museum

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Fellini’s

Fellini’s does fancy ‘Vegeterranean’ food and films. What better way to treat yourself after a hard tramp in the Lake District?

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Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
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