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.