Lake District wouldn’t be the same without its important literary heritage. The glorious scenery over both Grasmere and Windermere lakes certainly provides an inspiring environment for writers from all over England. Such was the case for poet William Wordsworth, who lived in Rydal Mount with his family for the greater part of his life, from 1813 until his death in 1850. This house is where he revised much of his earlier works and penned the final version of his celebrated poem “I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud,” commonly known as “Daffodils.”

The house, which belongs to the poet’s direct descendants, is now open to the public. It retains a strong lived-in, family atmosphere that is typical of English cottages. The Tudor-style cottage retains its original flagged flooring and oak beams, which contrast nicely with the modern additions of the mid 1700s, such as the drawing room and the library.

Wordsworth’s print is omnipresent throughout the property; a keen landscaper in his free time, he designed the layout of the 4-acre (1.6-hectare) garden himself, saying that the luscious grounds and the writing hut he built were his informal office. Additionally, first editions of his writings and portraits and knick-knacks of his can be found inside the house.