Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Wordsworth Grasmere

Creative Tourist

Visit now

Wordsworth Grasmere

Dove Cottage, Grasmere, LA22 9SH
015394 35544
Website Facebook X
  • 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.

Visit now
Gareth Gardner
Book now

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.’

Featured in

Literary places in Cumbria
Literary places in Cumbria

It was good enough for Wordsworth and Wainwright… From Kendal in the south to Carlisle in the north, we sniff out the best bookish shenanigans in Cumbria.

What's on near Wordsworth Grasmere

Bumps and Brushes
TourCumbria
Bumps and Brushes at Abbot Hall

Meet other expecting parents and connect with yourself artistically in Bumps and Brushes a relaxed artistic workshop at Abbot Hall.

Free entry
See all events

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.

Cumbria
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
Cumbria
Restaurant
Forest Side Restaurant

We love the fantastic Forest Side Restaurant. Attached to the historic Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere, this is one of the best places to eat in Cumbria.

Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
Cumbria
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
Cumbria
Gallery
Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbarn

Tucked away in a remote corner of the Lake District is Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbarn, an artistic epitaph to the avant garde ‘godfather of modern art’.

The Armitt Museum
Cumbria
Gallery
The Armitt Museum

Full of interesting and unusual objects, The Armitt is a museum that shares the history and heritage of Ambleside and its people.

Cumbria
Restaurant
Fellini’s

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

See all places

Cumbria District Guides

Carlisle and Keswick, Cumbria

Our guide to things to do in Carlisle, a city framed by its famous castle, and the ‘honeypot’ town of Keswick in Cumbria.

Cockermouth and West Cumbria

Our guide to West Cumbria, with its independent, industrial streak, and Wordsworth’s birthplace, Cockermouth.
Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
South Lakes, Cumbria

No trip to Cumbria is complete without a visit to the South Lakes, Coniston and Grizedale among them. Here’s our guide.
Things to do in Penrith
Things to do in Penrith and the Surrounding Area

With the picturesque Lake District to the west and the sweeping ridge of the Pennines to the east, Penrith is a stunning cultural destination.
York Castle Museum
Things to do in Kendal

Kendal is a key destination in the Lake District, packed with fantastic places to visit as well as a wide range of high-quality restaurants, bars and pubs.
Things to do in Eden Valley, Cumbria

Our guide to the best things to do in the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria, which stretches from Sedbergh to Penrith.
Kendal and Sedbergh, Cumbria

Packed with fantastic places to visit and a wide range of high-quality restaurants, bars and pubs, there’s loads to do in Kendal and Sedbergh.

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.