Day 11: Dove Cottage, Grasmere and Exhibition!

As I went down to breakfast this morning the local food deliveries were arriving - including Cumbrian wild game.

Less wild, but nevertheless game, we set off for Dove Cottage, where we gathered in what was the kitchen when William and Dorothy Wordsworth lived there. The window, though small, is larger than it was in their day.





















Hazel, the head guide, once again painted an evocative picture for us of the  daily lives of the Wordsworths.

I paid particular attention to the hooked rag rugs - very similar to the ones I grew up with as a child, made by my grandmother.

I liked the portrait of Mary Wordsworth as an older woman.  She was 32 when she had the first of their 5 children.

The best thing about the house is the glimpses of the garden from the windows.

The kitchen still holds their coffee grinder - coffee being a luxury that would have been eeked out.

We paid particular attention to the textiles that were the inspiration for Nicola's sampler, the knee rug knitted by Wordsworth's daughter, Dorothy's tartan cushion,

and the patchwork bedspread.
































I like this portrait of William Wordsworth - less flattering than younger, more posed ones, but remarkably modern.


It is sad - and telling-that this silouette is the only portrait of Dorothy.

We were treated to tea, coffee and delicious shortbread biscuits in the old kitchen. The shortbread is made in Grasmere to a secret recipe. I love both the taste and texture.





We had much discussion about where three adults, five children and guests managed to sleep in this house. This small bedroom, used mostly for the children, was papered by Dorothy in newspaper to save money.










Thanks to Carrie, I discovered a couple of new Lakes District authors whose books are held in the shop.

After a visit to the Museum and shop, we were driven to Grasmere for lunch and a wander. The weather, however, was cold and wet. I had just decided to spend my two hours in the cafe of the Heaton Cooper Gallery and had two scones & coffee served, when Phillipa arrived to say the bus would take some of us back early if we wished, so I got the cafe to pack up my scones and came back on the bus in the rain. The hotel, as usual, rose to the occasion and produced soup and a mountain of sandwiches for four of us.

The Exhibition
While we were enjoying ourselves in the morning, the Museum Curator, Jenny and Nicola were mounting the exhibition at The Wordsworth Museum.- a really professional job.

At 5.30 we headed off in two buses for the opening of the exhibition   Jeff Cowton, the Curator made a quite moving speech .











There were  local stitchers there who had also worked on Dorothy's mailbag.




The samplers were mounted as an entrance - a really interesting variation and contrast.

 There are really interesting examples from the collection.  I was particularly interested in the rag hooking component. My grandmother did a lot of this when I was a child.

There were sewing boxes and tools belonging to Dora & Dorothy Wordsworth, and samples of the work of their circle of friends, including Edith May Southey.

 Jenny's project was beautifully displayed, along with the original harp. It attracted a lot of interest.

 The postbag was perhaps the piece de resistance - so interesting to see the variety of interpretations.

Back at the hotel we had a celebratory prosecco and thanks all around.


Tomorrow we head for home - or continue our travel. It has been an amazingly successful and satisfying week.We are so privileged to have such a community of teachers and students - kindred spirits. No wonder we try very hard to maintain the connections.