Wordsworth Trust

Families welcome!

Dove Cottage was home to Britain's greatest poet and his family, so we always welcome parents and children with a variety of fun and stimulating activities.

Children and young people aged 16 or younger get free admission when accompanied by a paying parent or carer.

Have a look at the 'Visit' page for more information.

Dove Cottage

A former inn called 'The Dove & Olive Bough', Dove Cottage was Wordsworth's first family home. He moved in with his sister, Dorothy in 1799.

Step inside to get a sense of that time: stone floors, dark panelled rooms, glowing coal fires and the family’s own belongings. Little has changed in the house since the Wordsworths lived here.

Buy your tickets online and save time when you arrive.

Events for everyone

From talks to walks and mini-festivals to family activities, behind-the-scenes tours and introductions to Romanticism, our events programme is varied and has something for everyone.

Browse our event listings

The Collection

The Wordsworth Trust holds within its collection, some 90% of all known letters and manuscripts ascribed to the poet.

Many of these fascinating documents are on daily display in the museum. Others are available to scholars by appointment.

Click here to find out more about the collection

The Wordsworth Museum

The Wordsworth Museum, situated beside Dove Cottage, tells Wordsworth’s remarkable life story, his tragic childhood, his travels through the French revolution, his radical ideas which are so relevant today and how he changed literature forever. It features original, handwritten manuscripts, paintings, personal possessions and a programme of special exhibitions which change several times a year.

Enjoy some retail therapy

The Wordsworth Shop has an extensive stock of books, souvenirs and high quality gifts, from rare books, to prints of paintings from the Wordsworth Trust collection, to accessories and childrens games.

Come in and browse two floors of wonderful and unusual items!

If you can't visit in person, click here to shop online.