In The Footsteps of Wordsworth

A few days ago, my family and I visited Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth, one of England’s best-loved Romantic Poets.

Dove Cottage, Grasmere.

Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, moved into the cottage, situated just outside the lovely village of Grasmere when he was 29 years old. This was a dream fulfilled for the poet, after losing both of his parents by the age of 13, and being separated from his beloved sister during a period of his youth. At last, he and Dorothy were home again.

Plain Living & High Thinking

The Wordsworth’s lived a relatively simple life, cultivated a garden and drank in the detail of the flower and fauna all around them. Their motto was ‘plain living and high thinking.’

William and Dorothy immersed themselves in the beauty of their surroundings and William devoted his time and energy to writing poems, many of which capture vivid descriptions of childhood moments or the natural beauty he observed around him.

Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher

W.W

Spots of Time

Ice-Skating!

One of our favourite discoveries at the museum was a poem about an exhilarating childhood memory of William’s, where a few days before Christmas, he went ice-skating on Esthwaite Water, near the village of Hawkshead, where he went to school.

Inspired by Nature

Grasmere sits in the midst of the Lake District National Park, Cumbria, an area rich in rugged fells, deep valleys, shimmering lakes, bubbling rivers running under stone bridges, a wild coast-line and an abundance of breathtaking scenery.

Many of William’s poems are about specific places, sights and experiences in around the Lake District, including ‘Storm on Coniston Water’, which is photographed below, and ‘A Summer Day at Windermere’, (second photo below).

Dorothy’s Journals

Dorothy, like her brother, had a deep love of nature and kept a journal which documents the happy time they spent at Dove Cottage. Many of her diary entries connect with poems written by her brother, such as this extract about a swathe of wild daffodils.

It’s easy to get a sense when walking around the cottage, the garden and the village of Grasmere of the way William and Dorothy would have walked and talked together, marveling over the beauty all around them, and eagerly comparing notes on their observations,

It was delightful to walk into Grasmere and know that William and Dorothy had trodden those very streets, gazed at the same ancient hills, and attended the old church, where we discovered their humble gravestones a short walk away! It was an incredibly moving and inspiring experience!

To Live and Do Good

It was wonderful also to note Wordsworth’s desire to write words that ‘live and do good’ – and to feel that connection with his ideals as a writer. I came away hugely moved to think that a poet who lived and wrote over 200 years ago carried the same lasting values in his heart as I do, and longed to use his words to spread joy, consolation and goodness to those around him.

If you are interested in reading more of William Wordsworth’s wonderful poetry and finding out more about the spectacular Lake District, I wholeheartedly recommend purchasing a copy of this beautiful illustrated collection, entitled: “The Golden Store.’ which I purchased at the Museum’s bookshop. It is a keepsake that I will always treasure, and enjoy dipping into again and again.

I hope you enjoyed this post!