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Dove Cottage |
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Dove Cottage |
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Britain > Lake District > Dove Cottage |
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The most famous of all Wordsworth's homes |
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William Wordsworth is widely recognised as one of the greatest poets in the English language. Over his 80 years in the 18th and 19th centuries, he composed a body of work that has stood the test of time, and which continues to influence many poets in the modern age. |
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 Dove Cottage Photo Menage_a_Moi |
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Wordsworth's main inspiration was widely known to be the Lake District. He was born here, educated here, and he spent most of his adult life living here too - in a small house on the banks of lake Grasmere. |
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This house is called Dove Cottage, and it's the most famous of all Wordsworth's homes. He lived here for eight and a half years, with his sister Dorothy - and later, with his wife Mary. It's a lovely stone and slate building in beautiful surroundings. In the past, there were less other buildings in the area, so the cottage would have given spectacular views of the nearby lake. |
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 Inside Dove Cottage Photo HKJamesHo |
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The house is especially notable for being Wordsworth's home during his most productive years. He wrote many of his masterpieces from within these very walls. |
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After his death, a local reverend decided that the cottage and its heritage were too valuable to be privately owned, and he soon formed a trust to organise its purchase. And so, since the late 19th century, Dove Cottage has been open to public viewing. |
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The garden is also open to the public, weather permitting. This area of wild trees and plants may seem like it was given absolutely no care at all, but in fact this was exactly the Wordsworth's intention. They spent a lot of time working on what they called their "little nook of mountain-ground", and took great pride in its natural appearance. |
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 Dove Cottage Garden Photo ducttape30 |
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Tickets to Dove Cottage also include admission to the adjacent Museum and Art Gallery. This contains an impressive collection of manuscripts and paintings, mostly from the era of English art known as the "Romantic Age", which William Wordsworth was a key part of. The Museum also puts on a variety of different events and exhibitions throughout the year. |
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Dove Cottage though, remains the most attractive of the sights here, and it's easy to see why Wordsworth was so taken with the place. So if you visit, why not bring a pen - because perhaps inspiration will strike you too! |
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Dove Cottage is open daily, 9.30am to 5pm. Entry costs around £7.50 for adults, £4.50 children. Dove Cottage, The Wordsworth Museum & Art Gallery, Grasmere LA22 9SH Tel: 015394 35544 |
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