Friday, December 1, 2017

Dove Cottage




After leaving Blenheim Palace we headed north to the Lake District.  Those of you that have read my thoughts know that I adore this very special part of England.  When we visited a couple of years ago we knew we wanted to return.  Driving north was quite busy on the M6.  I do believe most of England's motorways were under construction while we were there!  I'll write a little more about that as I share our trip.  We checked into our home away from home and settled into our studio apartment.  It's nice to have a kitchen when you are staying for extended periods of time away from home.  Breakfast can be enjoyed before heading out for the day as well as having a fridge to store cheese and fruit and veggies to snack on.  Stopping at Waitrose to get groceries we were stocked for our stay. We stayed two weeks in the Lake District and then traveled south to the Devon/Cornwall area for the next two weeks.

In the morning we planned to visit Dove Cottage in Grasmere.  Grayden had packed all the necessary electrical cords and converters to be able to stay in touch with our family.  We bought the same cords and devices as last time, but this time we had quite an issue.  When we plugged in we blew the circuit to our apartment!  Luckily we were in the dark for only an hour as Amir came to our rescue.  He even came the next day and gave us the items we needed to stay plugged in!  I tell you the folks in England are so kind hearted and helpful, even when it's those crazy Americans that blow circuits!

So let's get going over to Grasmere.  It's the most charming area.  You'll hear me say that a lot about England!  Many poets and writers have made their home in this area.  It certainly is full of inspiration. 



It was a beautiful day.  The sun shining so lovely all around the lakes.






Dove Cottage was the home of William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy. They both enjoyed living here and sharing it with their friends.  They moved into Dove Cottage in 1799 and lived here until 1808 when they moved to Allan Bank.  I'll be sharing about Allan Bank soon!  Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived with them for periods of time at Dove Cottage.  They walked the fells and shared thoughts.  It was here that the Romantic age of literature took flight.  Wordsworth married Mary while living in Dove Cottage.  

"We have...a small orchard and a smaller garden which as it is the work of our own hands we regard with pride and partiality. "
Dorothy Wordsworth

After parking the car we walk up to the Museum to buy our tickets to go into Dove Cottage.





Dove Cottage

There is a wonderful museum with many artifacts of the Wordsworth's.  Dorothy Wordsworth's diary is on display.  Her daily diary is said to have inspired William's famous poem, I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud.   She was a great encouragement to him.  We learned that he didn't enjoy writing down his thoughts and had his wife Mary or Dorothy do that for him!  I guess you could say he had two secretaries!




Let's go inside of the tiny cottage and see what life was like for them.  The cottage is four rooms downstairs and four rooms upstairs.  

We were with a group of ten, so it's quite cramped in here.  The fire sure feels good, though.



In this sitting room the family gathered with friends.  Most of these old cottages have very little light, but that seems to add to the charm.



These are rush candles made from dried reeds and then dipped in tallow.   They were cheaper to make and would give more light as you lit both ends.  Hence- "burning the candle at both ends".






There is a stream that runs under the cottage so a buttery is convenient to store items that need to be cold.



The bedroom was dressed to keep the cold air out when one is sleeping.


Wordsworth's favorite likeness of himself




This is Wordsworth's cuckoo clock.  It was restored and it takes its place in the stairwell.  We were reminded he loved to show it to visitors.




Upstairs there are cabinets full of the Wordsworth's objects.  Pretty china and other interesting things.  One of which was Coleridge's opium scale!  We heard that the two had a falling out and I wonder if this might be over his drug addiction.



The Wordsworth's loved nature and naturally had a lovely garden that we wanted to explore.  They collected many flowers on their walks and planted them at Dove Cottage.  There is a very steep hill that is terraced and planted with all of their lovely flowers and quotes.












At the top of the garden there is a lovely view.  We are reminded that the house we are looking at was not there, so the view would reveal more of the lake.



The view from the top of their garden filled our hearts with joy.  We wondered what Autumn would be like in the Lake District.  It was lovely to see many flowers still blooming.



The Wordsworth's left their imprint on the Lake District.  We will be visiting Allan Bank next.  I hope you will come along when we visit this very unusual and special place.










  

32 comments:

  1. I enjoyed this visit to the Lake district, where I've never been. Maybe some day. Beautiful photos! And your new header is a "delight to behold!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Dotsie. The Lake District is so special. The header is of the Arlington Row weaver's cottages in Bibury. I wrote about Bibury a couple of posts ago. Have a nice weekend. ♥

      Delete
  2. A cocaine addict? Oh dear. Were they aware of the dangers of such things? I’m thinking maybe not. It is interesting to imagine what their view would have been. And how interesting that he had a sister and wife living under the same roof. Fun to hear about your misadventures with your electrical needs. Glad it was all sorted. Looking forward to the next installment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vee, it was quite disheartening to finally arrive "home" and blow a circuit! We were tired at that point and just had to laugh! We were imagining just sleeping with no electricity until morning.
      Opium misuse has been around for a long time. When we visited the Coleridge Cottage later on in our trip (in Somerset) we learned more about him and his problems. He apparently had quite a few mental issues and self medicated with opium.
      I've read that Dorothy was quite jealous of Mary at first, but then accepted her. ♥

      Delete
  3. Dove Cottage is very charming, Martha Ellen. Love the fireplace, all the pretty china in the cupboards, and the quilt on the bed. The quotes in the flower beds are delightful. That is a wonderful picture of the view on top of their garden. Thanks for this lovely tour, Martha Ellen. It sounds like such a grand place.

    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheri, Dove Cottage is quite small, but charming in its special way. The whole Lake District area is quite exceptional in its beauty! Thank you for touring with us! ♥

      Delete
  4. Such beautiful pics. Thank you for sharing them. I have never been able to venture to England but I love seeing pics of the difference in how we live in the states. Love it...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Pam. You would love the Lake District. There is spectacular scenery everywhere! And so full of history around every corner. ♥

      Delete
  5. It is a beautiful area and you have captured it well. Wordsworth, in particular of the Romantic poets, is a favourite of mine as I do not care one jot for Neoclassicism. I especially adore his 'Lucy' poems. Coleridge's life was, I think, particularly sad, but then genius often sits upon a knife edge between wretched torment and euphoria. I'm sure you know of his addiction and the interruption when he was penning "Kubla Khan"?
    Looking forward to more soon ~~~Deb xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deb, you stated it so well-"genius often sits upon a knife edge between wretched torment and euphoria". We learned more than we ever knew about Coleridge's problems...It's a shame that he and Wordsworth had a falling out. At the core I think they both supported each other.
      Have a cozy weekend. xoxo ♥

      Delete
  6. So nice to have a look into Dove Cottage with you, The Lake District is wonderful and I love the views of the hills.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janneke, the views in the Lake District were so lovely. When the sun is shining, they are spectacular!
      Have a lovely weekend. ♥

      Delete
  7. I’m enjoying your pictures so much. I love the countryside views and of course these wonderful preserved cottages. I like that clock they restored- I’m intrigued with the sunflowers and red flowers painted on it. I’ve never seen such blue water in pictures from England. Seeing the mountains in the background is stunning. I can’t remember ever seeing a picture from England that shows such beautiful blue water.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz, the countryside of England is my favorite! I could go on and on about its beauty and I will! The Lake District particularly is my favorite! When the sun is shining on the lakes the water quite blue! ♥

      Delete
  8. This brought back wonderful memories of our visit to the Lake District. Great photos!
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad, Amalia. The Lake District is a memory maker! xo ♥

      Delete
  9. Absolutely gorgeous views! Thank you for sharing this with us! I love all the history. :-) Enjoy your weekend.

    blessings,
    Jill

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jill, there is so much history in England to see and enjoy. Thank you for coming along with us! ♥

      Delete
  10. What an interesting entry in your travelogue! We have been reading the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge during this school term, so I found it particularly fascinating to see where he lived part of his life, as we had read of his connection with Wordsworth. So sad that he had an opium addiction. He was a literary genius, but his troubles showed through his work, I think.

    I loved seeing Wordsworth's home! Oh my, what a view! It seems that artists (of the brush or of the word) would find these surroundings inspiring. And it is fun to have a look at the "everyday" of such people. We tend to know them for their works, without thinking of them as people with day-to-day lives and cold bedrooms and cuckoo clocks. I also find it fascinating that he did not like to record his thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheryl, I'm no Wordsworth scholar, but I do believe it was easier for him to dictate his thoughts rather than pen them himself!
      We traveled to Coleridge's cottage in Somerset later on in our trip and learned more about his "everyday." I agree he was a literary genius. That burden of genius created many problems for him. I'm so glad you have included him in your daughter's studies. The docent we talked to in Somerset was so surprised that Americans studied him in school! ♥

      Delete
  11. Thank you so much for taking me along to the Lake District. I have never been, and really enjoyed the history and beautiful photos. And thank you so much for visiting and leaving such a sweet note. I am so happy you enjoyed viewing my angel.
    blessings,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Penny for stopping by. The Lake District is full of beautiful opportunities to take beautiful photos. We enjoy this area immensely! Have a wonderful week. ♥

      Delete
  12. Thanks for sharing all your beautiful pictures! It's always fun to see pictures taking from other parts of the world!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Pilar. I'm glad you are enjoying our trip! It's so much fun to revive it here on this blog. Have a great week.♥

      Delete
  13. It's quite an experience and an education to visit a place like this! Lovely photos...love seeing all the old dishes and bedding! AND the VIEWS! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diane, we learn so much when we travel. We both love history and enjoy learning more on our travels. Have a nice week. ♥

      Delete
  14. Dove Cottage is on our itinerary next May. I'm looking forward to your other posts about the Lake District. We intend to stay our whole 10 days there and explore as much as we can,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you will enjoy Dove Cottage, Cathy. I'm glad you have included it in your plans. It's quite small and can get crowded, but worth seeing! ♥

      Delete
  15. This was such a delight to read! You visited two areas of England where I've never been, but am determined to yet visit someday. Those amazing views! And staying in one place to use as your base for the area is such a good idea. I am enjoying traveling with you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy, it's so easy to unpack once and then travel about an area. We did travel distances away from our home base, but it worked well for us, I'm glad to have you along on our trip! I can't believe I'm still working on day two in England! ♥

      Delete
  16. Martha, I love the Lake District too! It's where my mother's family is from ("Our" lake is Ullswater). Would love to see more of it. Can't wait to read more about your trip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Jean, that is so exciting that your family is from the Lake District! Sometimes I wonder if my family must have come from here at one time or another, as I have such strong feelings for it. The Lake District is just spectacular! ♥

      Delete

Your comments will show after moderation. Thank you. ♥