Take a tour around this historic 16th century house and former home of the Wordsworth family.
Set in the heart of the Lake District between Ambleside and Grasmere is Rydal Mount and Garden, a historic house and former home of poet William Wordsworth from 1813 to 1850. It has panoramic views across Lake Windermere, Rydal Water and the surrounding fells.
The house is now privately owned by descendants of Wordsworth – little has changed since he lived here and visitors can see the family bedrooms of William and Mary, Dorothy and Dora, and also his attic study. The dining room sits within the old Tudor cottage which dates back to 1547, while the drawing room and library were added in 1750.
Throughout the house you will see collections of portraits, possessions and first editions of his work. Much of the house retains its character with oak beams and flagged floors.
Rydal Mount and Garden sits within four acres and as Wordsworth was a keen landscape gardener, much of it remains how he designed it. Here you’ll find rare shrubs, fell-side terraces, rock pools and landscaped lawns. Following the death of his daughter Dora in 1847, he planted hundreds of daffodils in memory to her; this was named Dora’s Field and is now owned by the National Trust.
