Wordsworth Lake District tour: Grasmere, Dove Cottage, Rydal Mount

Rydal Mount's five-acre garden, designed by Wordsworth himself, still holds the fell-side terraces and rock pools he planted.

A three-hour guided tour through the Lake District homes and haunts of William Wordsworth, departing from Bowness, Windermere or Ambleside in the afternoon. You visit Grasmere village, Dove Cottage where Wordsworth lived from 1799 to 1808, and Rydal Mount, his family home from 1813 until his death in 1850, with entry included. The guide shares the stories behind each site in English. Small groups of no more than seven travel by minivan with air-conditioning and regular photo stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Wordsworth's Lake District sites

• Drive to Grasmere Village
• Visit St Oswald's Church and family graves
• Pass by Grasmere Gingerbread Shop
• See Allan Bank from outside
• Visit Dove Cottage exterior and virtual tour
• Drive along Grasmere lake shore
• Tour Rydal Mount and gardens
• Visit Rydal Hall Gardens
• Visit Rydal Church and Dora's Field
• Drive past Rydal Water and Nab Cottage

The Experience

The tour starts with a drive to Grasmere village, where you see St Oswald's Church and the Wordsworth family graves: among the most visited places in the Lake District. Grasmere itself is the lake Wordsworth called "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found," and you'll see the small island in the middle where he often walked while living at Dove Cottage. The village also holds the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, where Sarah Nelson invented the world-famous recipe in 1854.

From there the route moves to Dove Cottage on the village outskirts, where Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy set up home in 1799. Entry is included in the tour price. You then drive along the shore of Grasmere before heading south toward Rydal Mount, Wordsworth's best-loved family home from 1813 to his death at eighty. The house dates from the sixteenth century and was enlarged by Wordsworth himself. It remains owned by his descendants and keeps the feel of a lived-in family home. Entry to Rydal Mount is included. The five-acre garden, which Wordsworth designed as a keen landscape gardener, consists of fell-side terraces, rock pools and an ancient mound, much as he laid it out.

Near Rydal Mount stands Rydal Church, built in 1824 on a site Wordsworth helped choose. The Wordsworth family pews sit at the front of the aisle, and a memorial plaque marks his time as church warden. Close by is Dora's Field, a plot Wordsworth bought in 1826. After his daughter Dora died in 1847, he planted hundreds of daffodils there as a memorial. The tour also passes Rydal Hall Gardens, built in the sixteenth century and restored by the Carlisle Diocese, where you can see the 1669 viewing house, the oldest in the country, built below the lower waterfall. The drive south toward Ambleside passes Rydal Water, one of the smaller lakes, and Nab Cottage, once home to Thomas de Quincey and later to Hartley Coleridge, son of Wordsworth's friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

What’s included

• Relaxed small-group tour with no more than seven guests.
• comfortable minivan with air-conditioning, WiFi and charging points.
• entry to Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage.
• professional guide sharing stories and facts in English.
• regular photo and comfort stops.
• departure and return to your chosen centrally located meeting point.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by English Lakes Tours

Is this one for you?Pick your starting point (Bowness, Windermere, or Ambleside) to slot this afternoon tour into your Lake District schedule, and you'll visit both Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount with entry included, covering the two homes where Wordsworth actually lived.

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Top questions

Where does the Wordsworth tour pick me up?

You choose one of three departure points at checkout: Bowness at 2:08pm, Windermere at 2:00pm, or Ambleside at 2:19pm. The tour collects you from the point you select. If you need to change it, contact the operator in advance so they know where to find you.

What was Dove Cottage and why did Wordsworth leave it?

Dove Cottage, on the outskirts of Grasmere village, was Wordsworth's home from 1799 to 1808, where he lived with his sister Dorothy. The family expanded with three children in four years, so they moved to larger lodgings at Allan Bank overlooking the village in 1808, and later to Rydal Mount in 1813.

Is entry to Rydal Mount included in the tour price?

Yes, entry to Rydal Mount is included. Entry to Dove Cottage is also included in the price of the tour.

How many people travel together on this tour?

Small groups of no more than seven guests travel together in a comfortable minivan with air-conditioning, WiFi and charging points for mobile devices.

What is Dora's Field and why did Wordsworth plant daffodils there?

Dora's Field is a plot of land Wordsworth bought in 1826 near Rydal Mount. After his daughter Dora died in 1847, he planted hundreds of daffodils there with his wife and gardener as a memorial to her.

What should I wear and bring for this tour?

Wear comfortable, suitable shoes because there is some walking involved, including uphill sections and uneven or wet terrain. Bring a waterproof coat with a hood, as Lake District weather can change quickly even in summer.