Things to do at Wordsworth House and Garden

Two women smile as they take a selfie while dressed in period clothing in Wordsworth House — All smiles while getting into the Georgian spirit. | © National Trust Images / Paul Harris

Step back in time and explore Wordsworth House and Garden in the Cumbrian town of Cockermouth. This immaculately preserved Georgian townhouse was the birthplace and childhood home of romantic poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy.

Wordsworth House and Garden is now closed for the season.

Please be advised that we are now closed for the season. We look forward to welcoming you back on Saturday 29 March, 2025.

Get hands-on at Wordsworth House

Friendly and knowledgeable guides are on hand to answer questions. You'll see real food on the dining table, a fire burning in the kitchen grate, and you can taste a recipe like one William and Dorothy might have eaten. Ink and quill pens are ready in the clerk’s office and if you play the piano you might like to try the replica harpsichord.

Two guests listen to a volunteer talking about the history of Wordsworth House and Garden in the dining room while standing over a table with traditional Georgian dishes — Visitors listening to a volunteer talking about traditional Georgian dishes in the dining room | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

A Georgian time capsule

Experience life in the 1770s on a visit to Wordsworth House and Garden, furnished and presented as it would have appeared when William and sister Dorothy lived here with their parents, brothers and servants.

You can take a guided tour or an audio tour, listen to a talk or explore the working kitchen and other rooms at your own pace.

Child’s play

Discover the children’s bedroom which is full of toys and dressing-up clothes. There's also a daily children’s trail.

The exhibition rooms house a changing programme of displays. In the discovery room you'll find a permanent exhibition about William’s Lakeland legacy and his key role in the founding of the National Trust, along with family games.

Looking up at a bright blue ski from underneath white and pink cosmos with the back of the house in the distance. — Looking through the cosmos in the garden, inspiration from this year's exhibition | © Melinda Gilhen-Baker

'Green and Overflowing with Life': The Wordsworths and a love of gardens

Inspired by Dorothy Wordsworth's quote and the love her and her brother shared for nature and gardening, this year's exhibition is a celebration of the gardens the Wordsworths designed and the role these green spaces still play as wildlife havens.

From childhood, gardens featured in William’s fondest memories and are immortalised in his poetry. At his home in Cockermouth, he and his sister were lucky enough to experience a wild childhood, having a free rein to explore the garden, the terrace and the River Derwent on their doorstep.

When they set up home together at Dove Cottage, gardening became a passion for them as they planted and designed their ‘little Nook of mountain-ground’.

In later life, William both designed gardens and gave advice to local people who sought him out. At Rydal Mount, the grounds were planned by William and tended by all the family, with an eye for local species, plants that sustained insects, and seasonality.

Today, in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, gardens have become vital oasis for nature. The Wildlife Trusts tell us that ‘the UK's gardens are larger than all of our National Nature Reserves (NNR) combined’ which really demonstrates how together, our small pieces of wilderness can make a real difference to the overall green space for our wildlife.

Including insights into how gardener Amanda Thackeray has recreated and tended to the Wordsworths’ childhood garden for 20 years, you will also find tips on creating your own pollinator haven. Loans from the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere and Tullie in Carlisle help tell the story of the Wordsworth's relationship to gardens, and the challenges Cumbrian plants and insects face due to climate change.

Starting April 7th, you are invited to delve into the William and Dorothy’s passion for gardening before taking a turn in the garden to reconnect with your own childlike love of blooms, birds and bumblebees.

Take home a print from last year's exhibition

We still have an opportunity for you to own one of the wonderful images that were displayed in last year's "Wildlife Encounters" exhibition.

Please get in touch if you are interested in purchasing.

Rosamund and John Macfarlane will be donating their share of proceeds to Cumbria Wildlife Trust for the Skiddaw Forest Appeal.

Three people gaze into a display case in the exhibition room at Wordsworth House and Garden — Enjoying the new exhibition at Wordsworth House and Garden | © National Trust Images/ Paul Harris

Activities and events for 2025

Please check in again throughout the year as we continue to add to this list.

Tours: Matters of life and death

Tuesdays, throughout the day, please book on arrival

Join us for a 30-minute guided house tour and enjoy a personal insight into the family life that forged one of our greatest poets – plus the story of how this special house was saved from demolition.

Watch one of our films in the Discovery Room

Daily, 10am to 4pm

View our short films in the Discovery Room, including Why does Wordsworth matter today? To find out more about William and Dorothy’s legacy to us and the landscape, you can also find local history content in collaboration with family history website Find My Past.

Free weekend for locals

Saturday 29 March and Sunday 30 March, 10am to 4pm

Join us on our opening weekend and enjoy free entry to the house and garden for anyone with a Cumbrian postcode.

Happy Birthday William!

Monday 7 April, 10am to 4pm

Come celebrate William Wordsworth's 255th birday. Drop into the Discovery Room and make a special daffodil card for a loved one.

Garden tours with head gardener Amanda Thackeray

Monday 2, Monday 9 and Wednesday 25 June

Wednesday 3, 10, 17 and 24 September

11am and 1.30pm

Join Amanda our Head Gardener for a closer look at our Georgian garden packed with 18th-century varieties of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. Learn about how we make sure birds and pollinating insects are made welcome using organic principles throughout and how specially selected local wildflowers and herbs are used to entice bees and butterflies to feast. Free with admission, book on arrival, subject to availability.

Cockermouth Live

Saturday 5 July and Sunday 6 July

Enjoy Free entry to the house and gardens for this special event. Join in the fun and listen to music and poetry from varied local performers.

Heritage Open Day

Saturday 13 September, 10am–4pm

Visit the house and garden free of charge. Learn about the workings of the Georgian kitchen with our knowledgeable guides.

National Poetry Day

Monday 29 September to Sunday 5 October

Celebrate National Poetry Day with a week of poetry inspired by gardens. Enjoy some much-loved poems around the house and our team are looking forward to sharing their favourite poems with you on Facebook.

For family friendly events, please follow this link.

Spanish bluebells and vibrant yellow flowers in the garden at Wordsworth House on a sunny spring day — Spanish bluebells in the garden on a sunny spring day | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

The garden that inspired a poet

Wordsworth House’s walled riverside garden was William’s secret childhood playground. It was here that he learned the love of nature that turned him into one of the world’s favourite poets.

Today, it is filled with the fresh greens and bright colours of spring. Wandering ‘lonely as a cloud’ among centuries-old varieties of flowers and fruit trees, it isn’t hard to picture the wild child born 250 years ago and how his ‘sweet birthplace’ inspired a lifetime of creativity.

Beneath the foliage-shrouded terrace where he and his beloved sister Dorothy used to play, the Derwent, his ‘fairest of all rivers’, gurgles by.

Second-hand bookshop

Take time to browse the shelves of our second-hand bookshop. Thanks to your generous donations there is something for everyone. With classic volumes, colourful children’s tales, modern fiction and vintage treasures, it's the perfect place to discover something new.

Once you’ve made your selection, why not take your pre-loved treasure out into the garden for a quiet moment reading among the flower beds?

All funds raised go towards the care of Wordsworth House and Garden, so if you’re able to donate any good quality books we’d love to hear from you. If you can help us, please drop any small donations into reception during our opening hours, or if you have a larger amount, please call ahead on 01900 824805.