Step inside William Wordsworth’s home and gardens 200 years on – and discover a little of the magic which inspired this great Romantic poet, writes Thornton Stewart

A LAKE District visitor attraction is celebrating the 200th anniversary of William Wordsworth moving in. Rydal Mount was his family home for 37 years until he died in 1850 and it continues to be a delightful legacy to his life and work.

The atmosphere is not that of a stuffy museum, but is light and airy with beautiful vistas. You still half expect one of the Wordsworth children to burst into the rooms after playing in the gardens, or find William’s sister Dorothy at work with her needlecraft.

Visitors can tour the house and garden, or garden only.

Both were important to the Wordsworth family. Until he died, aged 80, Wordsworth wrote many poems here, as well as revising some of his earlier works.

His most famous poem, The Daffodils, was published from here. William moved into Rydal Mount with wife Mary, sister Dorothy, Mary’s sister Sara and his three surviving children, John, Dora and William, aged ten, nine and three.

It was while living here he received an invitation from Queen Victoria to become Poet Laureate, an offer he at first refused before being persuaded to take up the position, albeit on his terms.

Other must-sees include the only known portrait of Dorothy, with her dog, Little Miss Belle, a stray which followed William and his son home one day.

Touring the house enables visitors to put together the pieces that comprise the jigsaw of William’s life. Downstairs, they will discover a portrait of Wordsworth hanging above the dining room fireplace and from this gain an impression of the master of the house. They can also see dining chairs with seats that were worked by William’s wife, sister and sister-in-law. This builds a picture of a man who had a lot of female support in his life with these three women sharing housekeeping and childminding duties, not to mention copying out his works for him.

In the drawing room they can find the Curious Child statue that features in his poem The Excursion.

An impression of the inspiration that filled William’s life can be found in his and Mary’s bedroom, with lovely views of Windermere. Here, the first reply to Queen Victoria’s offer of the post of Poet Laureate can be discovered.

Portraits of the Queen and the Prince of Wales, presented when William changed his mind, can also be seen here.

Sketches of the Rydal Mount gardens were done in August 1850, three month’s after William’s death. These show the garden to be remarkably close to Wordsworth’s original design.

The principle to which Wordsworth adhered was that of “lawn and trees carefully planted so as not to obscure the view”. The Rydal Mount gardens gave Wordsworth four acres of grounds to plan and he ensured his garden was informal and in harmony with the countryside around.

Wordsworth created a lawn bordered with flowering shrubs to the west of the house, where the ground slopes downwards. He also created a series of terraces, to harmonise with the Sloping Terrace, probably built in the 18th century.

Wordsworth laid 14 stone steps that allowed the family to reach this terrace.

At the end of the Sloping Terrace, he built a summer house and beyond this the Far Terrace, a curving path leading out to the fell, from which visitors can see Rydal Water, the smallest of the Lake District’s lakes.

Dora’s old schoolroom, close to the Rydal Mount gate, is now a charming tea room. A meadow and picnic area is a lovely spot in which to eat al fresco, play games with the children and relax, while dwelling by the rock pools allows the visitor to hear the murmuring water that inspired Wordsworth.

He would actually tinker with the rocks to create different sounds and sensations within the gardens, to help stoke his imagination.

By the summer house, visitors can also imagine Wordsworth reciting his poetry from the terrace, which became his habit. Some may wish to dwell quietly and see if they can hear the call of the elusive cuckoo for which Wordsworth composed the poem, To A Cuckoo, which he labelled “an invisible thing”, “a voice” and “a mystery”. Others may wish to envisage Wordsworth lying under the trees, gaining inspiration from nature.

Keen gardeners can enjoy the trees and plants in the gardens. Beautiful magnolias mix with pampas grass and golden holly, while the wisteria growing around the house adds a breathtaking charm to any visitor’s approach.

There is also a medlar tree in the grounds, planted by William himself.

Relaxing in the gardens is an idyllic way in which to spend time around Rydal Mount, but it is the transition from family home to glorious outdoor playground that visitors should experience if they wish to understand the essence of life at Rydal Mount for the whole Wordsworth family.

The vision of the children at play, of the wildlife interacting with the family as birds hopped on the window sills or the starlings nested, and the planting of flowers and shrubs to enhance their surrounds are all things that are best appreciated by gaining an impression of their entire lifestyle.

TRAVEL FACTS

  • Rydal Mount and Gardens are open daily from March 1 to October 31 from 9.30am to 5pm and from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11am to 4pm in the months of November, December and February (closed in January).
  • Admission charges are: adults £6.75, concessions £5.75, children five to 15 £3.25, families (two children and two adults) £16 and garden only admission £4.50.
  • Visit rydalmount.co.uk for more information and to book tickets.