Sunday, January 25, 2015

Looking Back - One

I've been looking back at photos taken last year and realised that there are quite a few places that I took photos of whilst on my travels that I haven't shared with you so I though that whilst I'm not going out very far I would look back on some of these places.  But first, before we step back in time,  I'd like to say thank you to all of you who stopped by and left such lovely and thoughtful comments on my last post, normally I try to reply to each one but I find sitting at the computer for too long is still a bit uncomfortable but getting better every day, so I hope you'll forgive me for not replying this time.

In June last year we visited the childhood home of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth.  It was a stop off point on our way back from Scotland.  It is a lovely Georgian House which is easily found on the main street in Cockermouth in Cumbria.  There were road works all the way up the main street which were to do with the installation of flood defences after the town was seriously flooded in November 2009.

William Wordsworth  his sister Dorothy and their three other siblings Richard, John and Christopher  spent their early years in this house.  It was a house of great happiness and of great sorrow too.

In 1765 William's father John Wordsworth who was a lawyer moved into this house as tied, rent free accommodation because of his job as land agent to local landowner Sir James Lowther.  In 1766 he married Anne Cookson, daughter of a wealthy draper of nearby Penrith and the couple lived there in contentment until 1778 when Anne died followed by John in 1783.  The children had now lost both their parents

The children had to leave their happy, childhood home to live with relatives.  William and Richard were sent to boarding school and Dorothy to live with relatives in Halifax.  It would be nine years before William and Dorothy met again.

The garden was a small town garden full of beautiful flowers and vegetables. 

The house itself is delightful inside and even after such tragic events doesn't feel sad at all.

Below are more photos










I loved this blue cupboard I found in one of the bedrooms and could quite happily live with it here at home

Did you know that the scarecrow above, known as Fletch the perchcrow has his own blog?  Here is a - link

I've really enjoyed visiting Wordsworth House again

I hope you have enjoyed looking back with me

31 comments:

  1. my daughter's mother in law lives in Cockermouth.While visiting her we went to Wordsworh's house.It is really interesting.Thanks for reminding me!

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    1. It is a lovely place isn't it? Glad you enjoyed your visit:)

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  2. The Georgian period was a lovely one for architecture. Very elegant.

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    1. It was a very elegant place and so atmospheric:)

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  3. It's so lovely to look back and revisit some lovely places again. I love tours like this, especially on a cold Sunday when I don't want to venture out, thank you. Have a wonderful week x

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the tour, Chel. Hope you have a wonderful week, too:)

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  4. Glad to hear you are feeling a little better Rosie. I've never been to Wordsworth's house but it looks beautiful - I can imagine him sitting at that large desk penning his thoughts. Love the old kitchen with that huge fire too! Jane x

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    1. Thanks, Jane - the kitchens were wonderful and they do have people in costume in there cooking sometimes:)

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  5. This looks like a wonderful place to visit. What a lovely house!

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    1. It was a lovely house and so peaceful even with visitors in:)

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  6. A lovely post Rosie. Very inventive to put Wordsworth's words in between the photos! It looks like a wonderful place to spend a childhood. Who would know that a scarecrow had it's own blog too? x

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    1. The words were photographed in the cafe and entrance and in one of the rooms inside the house. There were also chalk boards in the gardens with quotes on too:)

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  7. I am glad to hear that you are starting to feel better. I hope that you are totally yourself again very soon. Keep taking care. Hugs to you! Lovely to look back at your pictures - I really like that cupboard too! xx

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    1. I can imagine keeping all the linen in that cupoboard like that instead of it being crammed into the airing cupboard - perhaps one day:)

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  8. Fascinating.... I'd always associated the Wordsworths with Grasmere. Jx

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    1. Yes, me too that 's why it was so interresting to learn about his and Dorothy's formative years in this place:)

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  9. What a beautiful house and interior - I have visited his home in Grasmere which I absolutely loved and have read Dorothy Wordsworth's diaries which give such insight into the way they lived.

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    1. I've read snippets of the diaries - I must give them more attention. It is a beautful house inside:)

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  10. After reading about the early childhood William's words are poignant. Thank you for sharing the
    photos of your visit to the town house. It's charming and I'm glad that it seemed a happy place with some light touches such as the scarecrow and the pretty flowers from the garden in jugs.
    I hope you'll feel better very soon especially with your back problem which at the moment makes sitting for long periods very tiring.

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    1. Things are getting easier now Linda, thank you. Glad you enjoyed visit the house I think the words show how much the children loved living there and how great a hole in their lives the loss of their mother caused:)

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  11. When I think of Wordsworth it's always with Grasmere and gingerbread! I adore that kitchen.

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    1. The kitchen was one of my favourite parts of the house. The preserves cupboard was amazing:)

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  12. Despite having been very interested in WW and his poetry at one time (and nowadays too, occasionally) I never got around to visiting Cockermouth. The Lake District always exerted a stronger pull at that time. I can see from your photos that this was a mistake and one which, if I ever get up to that part of the UK again, I shall definitely rectify.

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    1. I can understand why the lake district countryside would draw you away from the towns, John as it is so beautiful but I did enjoy visiting Cockermouth and the Wordsworth's house:)

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  13. That was as a lovely tour around Wordworth's house that you took us on and thankyou for sharing. I do hope you'll be feeling a lot better very soon. P x

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    1. I meant to say thank you for your lovely comment on my last post. x

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    2. You are welcome, Patricia it was a lovely post - glad you enjoyed the tour:)

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  14. Thanks for showing us Wordsworth's house. Great photos, good to see you were allowed to take photos inside the house. I'll add this to my list of places to visit.

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    1. Hello Katherine, thanks for visiting my blog. I'm glad you enjoyed Wordsworth's House - it is well worth a visit:)

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  15. I've been to Wordsworths house up in the lakes, but not this one. it looks lovely. I does look as if you could move straight in! It's lovely to look back on where you went in the Summer - roll on the better weather ! It can't come soon enough! xxx

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    1. Roll on spring and summer. It is a lovely house and I expect a contrast to the Wordsworth's adult home - I confess I've never been to that one and would love to see it one day:)

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