Wordsworth House & Garden
Main Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria
William Wordsworth's Georgian birthplace in Cockermouth, with a garden recreated in 18th-century style beside the River Derwent, planted with period fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit Wordsworth House & Garden?
Wordsworth House is a small, personal visit rather than a big garden day out. The Georgian townhouse on Main Street, Cockermouth, is where William Wordsworth was born in 1770 and spent his early childhood with his sister Dorothy and their brothers. Behind it, the garden has been recreated in the style of the 18th century, giving a sense of how a well-to-do town household would have grown food and flowers.
The garden runs back from the house towards the River Derwent, with a terrace walk along its far edge. It is laid out with fruit, vegetables and herbs of the kind grown in the 18th century, mixed with flowers, so it is as much a kitchen garden as an ornamental one. There is also a small garden at the front of the house. Because the space is compact, it rewards slow looking, especially if you are interested in older varieties and traditional ways of growing.
For gardeners, the appeal is in seeing a working period garden on a domestic scale, close to what many people have at home. It shows how herbs, fruit and vegetables can be grown together in a modest space. Pair the garden with the house, which is presented as a writer's house museum, and allow time to explore Cockermouth itself. The house and garden open seasonally, roughly from spring to autumn.
What to see
- The garden recreated in 18th-century style behind the house.
- Fruit, vegetables and herbs of the kind grown in Wordsworth's childhood.
- The terrace walk alongside the River Derwent.
- The small front garden of the Georgian townhouse on Main Street.
- The house itself, presented as a writer's house museum.
Wordsworth House & Garden through the year
- spring
- Early vegetables and herbs are sown and planted, and the fruit trees come into blossom.
- summer
- The kitchen garden is at its most productive, with herbs and flowers at their fullest.
- autumn
- Fruit and late vegetables are ready, showing the garden at its most useful before the season ends.
- winter
- The house and garden are normally closed in winter; check the National Trust website for season dates.
The story behind the garden
Wordsworth House was built in 1745 for Joshua Lucock, then High Sheriff of Cumberland. In 1761 it was sold to James Lowther, later Earl of Lonsdale, who let his agent John Wordsworth and his wife Anne live there rent free. Their children, including William and Dorothy, were born in the house, and William lived there until his mother died in 1778. After his father's death in 1783 the house was emptied.
It stayed in private hands until the 1930s, when a local bus company bought it, planning to knock it down for a bus station. A national campaign saved it, and in 1938 it was bought and given to the National Trust. The house was hit by the Cumbria floods of November 2009, when volunteers moved many historic objects to its dry upper floors.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Literature lovers and gardeners curious about period kitchen gardens on a small, domestic scale.
- Getting there
- Wordsworth House is on Main Street in the centre of Cockermouth, in west Cumbria.
- Before you go
- This is a compact house and garden, so it pairs well with other plans in Cockermouth or the northern Lakes. Check the National Trust website for current opening times and tickets.
Source: Wikipedia: Wordsworth House
Questions about visiting Wordsworth House & Garden
Was Wordsworth born at Wordsworth House?
Yes. William Wordsworth was born in the house in 1770, and his sister Dorothy and their brothers were born there too. He lived there until his mother died in 1778, when he was about eight.
Is Wordsworth House National Trust?
Yes. After a national campaign saved it from demolition in the 1930s, the house was bought and given to the National Trust in 1938. It is now run as a writer's house museum with its garden.
What is the garden like at Wordsworth House?
It is a modest garden recreated in 18th-century style, with fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers of the period, and a terrace walk by the River Derwent. There is also a small garden at the front of the house.
When is Wordsworth House open?
The house is open to the public seasonally, roughly from spring to autumn, and is usually closed in winter. Check the National Trust website for the current dates and times before you visit.
Garden features
Location
Main Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria
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