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LakeDistrict
Excursion
LakeDistrict
FullDay
Excursion
All groups are escortedbythePLUS staff
Grasmere
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Grasmere is a charming village
in the heart of the Lake District
National Park, situated in a val-
ley surrounded by the lush green
slopes of the Lakeland hills. Love-
ly old cottages and houses built
of the local blue-green slate sit
along side the art galleries and
shops that line the twisty streets
of the village. Once home to the
famous poet William Words-
worth, visitors can see his two
former homes - Dove Cottage
and Rydal Mount and Gardens.
At the centre of the village is St.
Oswald’s Church which contains
the Wordsworth family graves.
It is only a short walk to the lake,
which is superb especially in sum-
mer. Rowing boats are available
for hire. Each year from the end
of July to the beginning of Sep-
tember at Grasmere Village Hall
is the Lake Artist Society Sum-
mer Exhibition, where some 300
exhibits by local artists and sculp-
tors are on display.
Dove Cottage
Step into Dove Cottage to get a
sense of that time: stone floors,
dark panelled rooms, glowing
coal fires and the family’s own
belongings. Little has changed in
the house since theWordsworths
lived here. Stroll in the Dove Cot-
tage garden, a place of refuge,
meditation and inspiration.
*Entrance is not free, groups
must be booked in advance. Chil-
dren £4.25, adults £7.50 (prices
subject to change).
Wordsworth
Museum&Art Gallery
Next door to Dove Cottage, the
newWordsworthMuseumhouses
a fascinating collection of letters,
portraits and manuscripts relating
to the Romantic movement.
*Entrance is not free, groups
must be booked in advance. Chil-
dren £4.50, adults £7.50 (prices
subject to change).
St. Oswald’s Church
In the churchyard of this tiny
chapel in the centre of Grasmere
are the Wordsworths’s family
graves: look out for tombstones
belonging to including William,
Mary, Dorothy and all three chil-
dren. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s
son Hartley is also buried here.
Sarah Nelson’s
Gingerbread Shop
Today’s Grasmere Gingerbread is
made to a “secret recipe” popu-
larized by Sarah Nelson (1815-
1904).By the early 19th Century,
Grasmere gingerbread was al-
ready being sold as fairings as
well as being a popular seller in
its own right.
A number of popular walks begin
near the centre of the village, in-
cluding the ascent of Helm Crag,
a longer route up to Fairfield
and a moderate 2 mile ascent
to Easedale Tarn. Travelling time
from Grasmere to Bowness-on-
Windermere is only 20 minutes
by coach.
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