William Wordsworth

The Poetry of William Wordsworth has brought the Lake District into the lives and minds of people everywhere.

He was born in 1770 in the fine Georgian House on Cockermouth Main Street, now owned by the National Trust and open to the Public during the summer [Wordsworth House]. He and his younger sister Dorothy were baptised together in the local Parish Church of All Saints.

He was educated at Cockermouth and Hawkshead Grammar Schools, and ultimately at Cambridge where he read Greek, Latin and Italian.

After touring Europe, he and Dorothy settled at Dove Cottage, Grasmere, where a legacy from a friend, given to help cultivate his poetical talents, enabled him to continue to write works including the Lyric Balladsand the long autobiographical work The Prelude.

During his time at Grasmere, he married and had three children, later moving to Rydal Mount where he died on 23rd April 1850, eight years after becoming Poet Laureate.

He is buried in Grasmere Churchyard as are other members of his family.