This cottage dating back to about 1574 was enlarged as a farm house in the 18C and was home to William Wordsworth (1770-1850) from 1813 until his death, a period that saw him move from revolutionary poetry to the reactionary status of Poet Laureat. This is where he wrote the book that was his greatest financial success, the Guide to the Lakes. The house contains his library and the ceiling to his study still painted with Renaissance motifs he had copied during a visit to Italy.