Cockermouth Tourist Information Lake District Cumbria UK

Cockermouth and William Wordsworth

There are quite a few daffodils in Cockermouth at a certain time of the year. 27,000 daffs were planted all over the town at the bicentenary of Wordsworth's death in 1970. The bronze bust which is the Wordsworth monument overlooks his childhood home, Wordsworth House.

Cockermouth is a fantastic venue for arts, crafts and art gallery exhibitions. If you are a lover of unusual jewellery, contemporary art and more, Cockermouth will not disappoint.

Cockermouth Tourist Information Point, Town Hall, Market St, Cockermouth,CA13 9NP. Tel 01900 822634

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Wordsworth House, Birthplace of William Wordsworth & Dorothy Wordsworth

This Georgian property was home to the Wordsworth family in the 1770s. The National Trust has created an interactive hands on museum here as well, including many activities and living history costumed guides.

There is an 18th century kitchen, jolly dee, plus a children's bedroom, Mr John Wordsworth's offices and various other family rooms. The beautifully restored gardens, where the young Wordsworths frolicked, contain a terraced walk overlooking the River Derwent where you can wander lonely, amidst a few other visitors anyway, to your hearts content, pondering Wordsworth's poetry. The on-site gift shop is well stocked with William Wordsworth works!

Check out the National Trust's ditti on Wordsworth's birthplace, running something along the lines of, Imagine a house full of commotion and noise: the smells of cooking, the sounds of children running through the corridors, servants sweeping floors and bustling about, tenants from the town lining up at the door, and the lady of the house fretting over the household accounts. Watch out for the happy go lucky domestic servants in full period garb and go armed with a few difficult questions for them won't you!!

Wordsworth House, Main Street Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 9RX, Tel: 01900 824805

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Cockermouth Western Lake District Centre

...dedicated to the hardiest of all fellwalkers, The Sheep of Lakeland, the truest lovers of the mountains, their natural homes and providers of their food and shelter. (Wainwright, Book Four)

Free admission, open daily from 9am to 5.30pm, and all things Sheep and wool, fantastic. The Sheep and Wool Centre, based here at the Western Lake District guarantees 'a wonderfully woolly experience'! They have an indoor presentation four times daily, showing off 19 different breeds of sheep. It's all 'hands on' and educational, great fun for all the family, and in the gift shop you are not likely to find another spot selling more sheep and woolly things than here. Love sheep, you'll love this!

There's a variety of other exhibitions here at the visitor centre, and it really is a good place to start your exploration of the Western Lakes and fells, and the Maritime history of this coast.

The Western Lake District Visitor Centre, Lakeland Sheep & Wool Centre, Egremont Road, Cockermouth.

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Beer Making at Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth

It's something in the water apparently!! Jennings is sadly Cumbria's last remaining independent brewery. Lovers of cask real ale will be familiar with the Jennings name, still going strong in the UK. This brewery's home is in Cockermouth and you can take fascinating guided tours around the brewery which sits adjacent to Cockermouth Castle and on a site where the River Derwent and River Cocker meet. The purest of water for this delicious brew was taken from the castle well as far back as 1874!

There's a shop on-site, so you can stock up on a 'real ale spree' after the tour which lasts just over an hour. Jennings bitter has a deliciously distinctive malty taste.

Jennings Brewery, The Castle Brewery, Cockermouth, CA13 9NE Tel: 0845 1294100

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