Save Wordsworth’s Home Campaign Backed by Leading Writers and Actors

A campaign to keep the Lake District home of William Wordsworth open to the public rather than being privately sold has been backed by some of the UK's best known creative names.

Children’s Laureate Frank-Cottrell Boyce and actors Brian Cox, Tom Conti, Miriam Margolyes, and Paul McGann are among concerned supporters who believe that Rydal Mount should be saved as a site of literary heritage and are looking for financial backers to save the house and grounds for the nation.

Rydal Mount dates back to the 16th century and was Worsworth's home from 1813 until his death in 1850. He lived and worked here, writing many of his most famous poems such as I wandered lonely as a cloud.  
He himself rented the house, but it was bought in the late 1960s by his descendants and it has since been opened it to the public, hosting poetry readings, theatrical productions, and writers' workshops. 

Current owners, great-great-great-great grandson Christopher Wordsworth Andrew and brother Simon Bennie have decided to sell the Grade I listed property near Windermere due to dropping visitor numbers and increasing running costs and it is currently on the market for offers above £2.5m. Included in the sale are the five acres of grounds designed by Wordsworth. It is the only home to feature views of both Lake Windermere and Rydal Water.

Film producer and Wordsworth’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter Charlotte Wontner is behind the campaign to save the house and grounds. “Wordsworth means so much to so many people in the arts world and they are keen to come on board,” she said. "The doors were always open to visitors in the poet's day and I think it is more important than ever that this continues in these challenging times." Brian Cox added: “Rydal Mount is important in Wordsworth’s literary history and we have to save it. It’s too often we are losing our incredible links with the past and this is one major link to the past that we cannot lose.”

Details of the campaign can be found at https://saverydalmount.org.uk