Rydal Mount Facts for Kids

Rydal Mount, where the poet William Wordsworth lived

Rydal Mount is a famous house located in the small village of Rydal. This village is close to Ambleside in the beautiful Lake District of England. Rydal Mount is most well-known as the home of the famous poet William Wordsworth. He lived here from 1813 until he passed away in 1850. Today, the house is a special museum where you can learn about the poet's life.

The Story of Rydal Mount
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The Story of Rydal Mount

William Wordsworth was born in 1770 in a place called Cockermouth. He grew up knowing the Lake District very well. After studying at the University of Cambridge, he traveled around Britain and Europe for 12 years.

Wordsworth's Homes

Wordsworth lived in a few different places in the Lake District.

He spent over eight years at Dove Cottage in Grasmere.
He had to move because his family was growing, and he had many visitors.
After living in Allan Bank for a short time, the Wordsworth family moved to Rydal Mount in 1813.
Rydal Mount remained their home for the rest of their lives.

The Gardens and Writing Hut

From the gardens at Rydal Mount, you can see two beautiful lakes: Grasmere and Windermere. William Wordsworth himself designed the gardens. He often called the gardens his "office," preferring them to his writing room inside the house.

A Poet's Outdoor Office

High up in the gardens, a bit hidden from the main house, Wordsworth built a "Writing Hut."

This hut overlooked the gardens and the two nearby lakes.
It was a simple place, just a bench with a small roof.
The hut gave him shelter from the rain and a quiet escape from the house.
He spent most of his writing time there.
His friend, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, often visited him. Coleridge would walk all the way from his home in Keswick.

Rydal Mount Today

William Wordsworth passed away in 1850, and his wife Mary died in 1859. In 1969, Mary Henderson, who was William's great-great-granddaughter, bought Rydal Mount. The house is still owned by the Wordsworth family. It has been open to the public since 1970, allowing visitors to step back in time and experience the poet's home. Rydal Mount is also a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical building.