Home of poet William Wordsworth up for sale

Wordsworth lived at Rydal Mount from 1813 until his death in 1850

The final home of Romantic poet William Wordsworth has been put up for sale.

Wordsworth lived at Rydal Mount, in Ambleside in the Lake District, from 1813 until his death in 1850 and it has been open to the public for decades.

However, his descendant Christopher Wordsworth, who lives in London, said it was getting "harder and harder" to manage the property remotely and that the decision to put it on the market for offers over £2.5m had been "difficult".

The Grade I listed house, which also hosts weddings and events, will remain open for the 2025 season.

The poet never owned Rydal Mount, but designed the gardens.

Mr Wordsworth said his grandmother bought the house in 1969 and that he had known the house his "entire life".

Mr Wordsworth believes it was the poet's favourite home

"We've had the house such a long time," Mr Wordsworth said.

"It's been a very difficult decision.

"The Lake District is unfortunately five and a half hours away on a good drive and it's just getting harder and harder to run it remotely."

It was the third house Wordsworth lived in in the Lake District and where he lived the longest.

"We think it was his favourite family house.

"He lived there for the last 37 years of his life and it was a house where he was certainly most famous and where he was almost certainly happiest," Mr Wordsworth said.

He also said he hoped prospective buyers would want to keep the property open to the public so visitors could "enjoy it the way Wordsworth lived in it".

"We've kept it open 10 months a year for the last 50 years, so it would be lovely if the same thing happened," Mr Wordsworth added.