English Nature Poets (who still inspire)
William Wordsworth wrote many poems on nature. Born in Cockermouth and educated in Hawkshead (just a few miles away), the house where he lived in Grasmere, is now a popular tourist attraction.
He was very against commercialisation of the Lake District (goodness knows what he would now think). He even campaigned against building a railway station in Windermere, saying it would result in over-tourism. He was right. Part of the original station is now Booths Supermarket.
William’s sister Dorothy was also a poet, and not shy about her views on the circular house built on Belle Isle, the largest of the Lake District islands.
Writing that ‘one of the pleasantest spots on earth, has been deformed by man’. Local William Dell was not impressed either, describing it as looking ‘like a tea canister in a shop window’.
Dove Cottage: Where Wordsworth Lived
Dove Cottage sits on the edge of Grasmere, a small and charming village. This was Wordsworth’s home from 1799 to 1808, a period when he wrote some of his best-loved poetry. The building itself is simple, warm and full of character.
Inside, you can see many of the family’s personal belongings as well as the rooms where Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy, and other guests spent their days together. The cottage helps you feel close to the poet’s daily life, offering a sense of the quiet and comfort that shaped his words.
The Wordsworth Museum: Poetry and Paintings
Next to Dove Cottage, the Wordsworth Museum brings the poet’s story to life. Here you’ll find original manuscripts, letters, and paintings capturing the Lake District across the seasons. The museum does a great job showing both Wordsworth’s work and his impact on others.
Displays change often, so even repeat visitors can find something new. It’s the best place to see the details behind famous lines and understand how much the landscape meant to the poet and his friends.
The Beautiful Gardens: Wordsworth’s World
Wordsworth loved nature, and the gardens around Dove Cottage reflect that passion. The grounds are carefully kept, looking much as they would have done in Wordsworth’s time. Paths wind through wildflowers, herbs and fruit trees.
You might see birds, bees and butterflies—just as Wordsworth would have done during his walks. Many visitors enjoy a quiet moment here, taking in views across the fields and hills. This is the perfect spot to pause and let the setting speak for itself.
Grasmere Village: The Soul of Wordsworth Country
The village of Grasmere is central to Wordsworth’s life and legacy. He called the area “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.” Today, Grasmere is still full of charm, with stone cottages, friendly shops and a peaceful churchyard. Wordsworth and his family rest at St. Oswald’s Church, just a short walk from the poet’s home.
Many people stop here to pay their respects. Walking through the village, you can easily imagine the poet finding inspiration at every turn.
The Lake District: Wordsworth’s Greatest Muse
Wordsworth’s writing owes a great deal to the hills, forests and lakes of Cumbria. The Lake District is now a National Park, drawing walkers, writers and artists from all over. The region is known for its beauty and changing weather—you may find dense mist one moment, bright sun the next.
Visitors can follow Wordsworth’s favourite routes, including walks along Grasmere Lake or up to Rydal Mount (another of the poet’s homes). The sense of peace and wildness here had a deep impact on Wordsworth and still captivates visitors today.
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
This is Wordsworth’s best-known poem. Here’s a quick excerpt.
Not to be a party pooper, but know that like all bulbs, daffodils are unsafe near animal friends, so keep them clear if they like eating flowers!
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
How John Keats’ Hampstead Home Still Inspires
John Keats (one of England’s favourite Romantic poets) found inspiration in Hampstead, and his house on Keats Grove continues to draw visitors who want to step into the poet’s world.
Originally built as a pair of houses, the poet resided in one half, and his friend Charles Brown (a literary critic) lived in the other.
Keats House gives us a close look at John’s life. Sharing not just his work but the calm beauty that shaped his writing. John’s illness from TB (caring for his seriously ill brother) meant that he died just 25.
Keats House is where John Keats wrote many of his best-known poems, including “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode on a Grecian Urn”. Living in this leafy part of Hampstead gave him space to think, write and recover from heartbreak and illness.
The setting helped shape his verse, and standing in the same rooms lets you sense the quiet that guided his words.
The house itself is a well-preserved piece of late Georgian design, built in 1815. Its light-filled rooms, elegant fireplaces and pretty sash windows show off the style of the period.
The lovely gardens are perfect for a stroll, and it’s easy to imagine Keats wandering among the flowers as he searched for new ideas. The house’s simple charm helps connect visitors with the past in a direct, heartfelt way.
The History of a Camden House (two poets)
Fitzroy Road is a leafy suburb of Primrose Hill, that is home to a two-times blue plaque house, a red-brick Victorian terrace, where two famous poets once lived, 100 years apart. This image shows Sylvia’s spirit returning. She is buried near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire.
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, who moved in with her children following the separation from her husband (Ted Hughes, who would go on to become Poet Laureate in later years). It was there she wrote some of her best-loved poetry.
Despite being known more for her neurotic writings about humans, she also wrote some wonderful poems about pheasants, flowers and wild bears. All poets love nature!
There is a sad ending, while Sylvia was suffering from severe depression, during the famed bitter-cold winter of 1963. A stunning beautiful and talented women, she gave cookies to her children, sealed their bedroom doors with tape, and put her head in the oven. She was just 30 years old.
Sylvia is buried near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. And almost 50 years later, her son (a baby at the time) also committed suicide.
Also Resided in by W.B. Yeats
Irish poet W.B Yeats (the initials stood for William Butler) lived in the same house, almost 100 years earlier. His used his unique influence to to intelligently campaign for Irish independence, away from the violent nationalism gathering pace back home.
Another London poet’s house (Hampstead) was lived in by John Keats, the Romantic poet (same name, different man). He also died tragically young (age 25, from TB).
