Derwent Island House Facts for Kids

Derwent Island House, a historic home on Derwent Island.

Derwent Island House is a beautiful old house located on Derwent Island, which is in Derwent Water near Keswick, England. This house was built in the 1700s and looks like an Italian villa. The island is about seven acres big and the house is owned by the National Trust, a group that helps protect important places. Even though it's a private home, you can visit it a few days each year. Inside, the house has a classic, elegant style.

A Look Back at Derwent Island House
William Wordsworth's View
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A Look Back at Derwent Island House

Early Days of Derwent Island

Long ago, Derwent Island belonged to monks from Fountains Abbey. But in 1539, the king took control of it. Later, in 1569, a German mining company bought the island. German miners set up a camp there. They raised animals, grew vegetables, and even made their own beer!

Joseph Pocklington's Island Home

In 1778, a man named Joseph Pocklington bought the island. It was called Vicar's Island back then. Joseph had big plans! He built the house we see today, along with a boathouse and even a small fort. He also added a fake stone circle, just for fun. His house was one of the first fancy homes built on a lake in the Lake District. Joseph loved to host parties and even held boat races on the lake. During these races, he would fire his cannons from the fort! Joseph sold the island in 1796 to William Peachy.

Changes and New Owners

In 1844, Henry Cowper Marshall bought the island. He hired an architect named Anthony Salvin to make the house bigger. They added new sections on the east and west sides, and a tall, three-story tower. In 1951, Henry Marshall's grandson, Denis Marshall, gave the property to the National Trust. For many years in the 1900s, the Grindlay family rented the house as a summer home from the Marshalls.

William Wordsworth's View

The famous poet William Wordsworth was not happy about the house being built on the island. He felt it spoiled the natural beauty of the view. He described Joseph Pocklington as someone who "played strange pranks" with his buildings on the island. Wordsworth thought Pocklington bought the island because he admired the area and wanted to start a new trend.