Wordsworth House facts for kids
Wordsworth House is a beautiful old house in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. It's owned by the National Trust, a group that looks after special places. This house was built in the mid-1700s.
A famous poet named William Wordsworth was born here in 1770. He lived in this house when he was a young boy. Today, you can visit Wordsworth House as a museum. It's open to the public from March to October each year. It's a great place to learn about history and one of England's most famous poets.
Contents
The Story of Wordsworth House
How the House Was Built
Wordsworth House was built in 1745. It was made for a man named Joshua Lucock. He was an important person in the area at the time.
Wordsworth Family Home
In 1761, the house was sold to James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale. He let his agent, John Wordsworth, live there for free. John Wordsworth was William Wordsworth's father.
William Wordsworth was born in this house in 1770. He lived there with his brothers and sisters. William lived in the house until he was about eight years old. His mother passed away in 1778. After his father died in 1783, the family moved out. The house was then empty for a while.
Saving the House for Everyone
Wordsworth House remained a private home for many years. In the 1930s, it was almost torn down! A bus company bought it. They wanted to build a bus station there.
But people across the country wanted to save the house. They started a big campaign. Because of their efforts, the building was bought and given to the National Trust in 1938. This meant it would be protected. Wordsworth House became a special "Grade I listed building" in 1951. This is the highest level of protection for historic buildings in England.
Facing the Floods
In November 2009, Cumbria had very bad floods. Many historic houses in the area were damaged. Wordsworth House was also affected. Luckily, volunteers worked quickly. They moved many important historical items to higher, dry floors. This helped save many valuable things from the floodwaters.
What the House Looks Like
Location and Design
Wordsworth House is on Main Street in Cockermouth. It was built in 1745. The house is made of stone. It has special stone corners called quoins. The front door has fancy columns on each side. These columns are in a style called Doric. There is also a small garden in front of the house.
More Places to Explore
- Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
- Listed buildings in Cockermouth
- Dove Cottage
- Rydal Mount
