What is Grasmere famous for?

There are many reasons why the Lake District is so famous, but specifically for Grasmere, the village holds a few unique treasures that make it special…

• William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was a Victorian Romanic poet who worked closely with Samuel Taylor Coleridge to introduce the Romantic Age in English Literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads. Both Lake Poets had a strong connection to the Lake District, with Wordsworth particularly favouring Grasmere, living in four different houses in the village. Wordsworth initially moved to Grasmere in 1799 aged 29 when he purchased the pretty Dove Cottage, then moving to Allen Bank, later to the Old Rectory before settling at Rydal Mount. Wordsworth loved Grasmere and described it in his works as “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.” The works of Wordsworth and his inspiration and reference to the Lake District encouraged many visitors to the area both in the Victorian era and still today, despite this being what the poet wanted! Wordsworth famously led a campaign against the expansion of the railway proceeding to Grasmere in which he succeeded with the line stopping at Windermere. Wordsworth and his wife Mary are buried in the churchyard of St Oswald’s Church in the centre of Grasmere village.

• Grasmere Gingerbread

Grasmere Gingerbread is a world famous gingerbread shop situated in the centre of Grasmere village. The shop building dates back to 1630 and was a village school for over 200 years and a place where William Wordsworth occasionally taught. In 1854, it became the home of Sarah Nelson’s word famous Grasmere Gingerbread. Sarah was a Victorian cook who invented the Grasmere Gingerbread secret recipe at her quaint cottage home, selling it to visitors and locals from her front door. Her sales increased due to the unique recipe coincided with the development of the railways and Grasmere’s boom in Victorian visitors. The secret recipe is still baked and served from the same cottage today and is the only place in the world where Grasmere Gingerbread is made and sold. Andrew Hunter, who runs the shop today alongside his wife, is the only person in the world who knows the exact ingredients which he prepares each morning.

• St Oswald’s Church

Grasmere is filled with old buildings originating from the 19th century and earlier, but St Oswald’s Church is one of the oldest dating back to the 13th century. The church is made up of beautiful oak pews, stunning stained glass windows and memorials dedicated to the Le Fleming and the Wordsworth families. The church sits on the picturesque banks of the River Rothay with the beautiful Wordsworth Daffodil Garden sitting between the church and the river. The churchyard is the burial place of William Wordsworth and his wife; their tombstone is one of the most visited literary shrines in the world, attracting hundred’s of visitors to the church. Wordsworth also had a living connection to the church, and planted eight of the Yew Trees around the area.