Tag: national trust

  • Allan Bank - National Trust Property

    Allan Bank is a large Georgian house overlooking the village of Grasmere, once home to the late poet William Wordsworth. The house is perched on a rocky hillside above the village with the view of a craggy fell behind.

    In 1808, Wordsworth and his wife Mary moved into Allan bank with their three children. Also living with them was Mary’s sister and their literacy acquaintances, Thomas De Quincy and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They lived in the house for two years but moved out shortly after as the chimneys smoked excessively and arguments with the landlord took place. The house was brought in 1915 by Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, a founder of the National Trust. He brought the house after he retired and spent his retirement in the picturesque village of Grasmere. The house was left to the National Trust in 1920 after his passing.

    In March 2011, a huge fire broke out at Allan Bank, one of the largest fires Grasmere has ever seen. After the fire, the National Trust decided that the house should be restored and open to the public. The house has undergone an extensive restoration project with the building being left as a blank canvas for visitors to decide it’s future.

    Jeremy Barlow, the National Trust’s General Manager for the Central and East Lakes, explained how visitors can influence the appearance of the house;

    “This won’t be like other historic houses – you won’t find Wordsworth’s spectacles laid on a desk in his study. In each of the rooms we’ve given our visitors hints about the fascinating history of this lovely home and the chance to be creative in the way so many of it’s former occupants were.

    Each of the rooms of the house has been given a theme. The framed artists of the Heaton Copper family, who have a gallery in Grasmere village, have helped create the art room where visitors will be inspired by sketches of Allan Bank and the Lake District. In the room where Wordsworth once slept, we’ll be encouraging visitors to help us design the planting of the gardens, while song lyrics and famous quotes will inspire the writing on the wall – literally – in the literature room. Interior designers can get arty and even help influence the future paint colours of the interior, and there will be some intriguing ways of bringing the outdoors indoors in yet another of the interactive rooms”.

    The house is open most days during the summer and only a short period during winter. To avoid disappointment please check the opening times through the link provided.

    To find out more about Allan Bank and to plan your visit, visit:

    https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/allan-bank-and-grasmere

  • Easter Events in Grasmere!

    It's Easter time!

    It's that time of year again when the Easter bunny comes out to play, chocolate eggs cover supermarket shelves and kids have two weeks off from school! Whatever will you do to entertain them? Here are a couple of things happening in Grasmere:

    Easter Crafts

    Crafts at Allan Bank

    As they do every year, Allan Bank of the National Trust will be running Craft workshops every single day 10am-4pm from April 1st until April 23rd! This is completely free other than the usual admission fees for the venue itself and is a guaranteed great day of fun for the little ones.

    Easter Egg Hunt

    Allan Bank Cadbury Egg Hunt

    Another really exciting event being held at the Allan Bank National Trust venue is an egg hunt. All around their Red Squirrel's trail are hidden eggs which you'll have to find - if all of them are found then there will be a yummy chocolate prize waiting at the end! This event costs £2 per person and will be running on the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th April from 10:30 am until 4:00 pm! This should be great fun for everyone involved and the weather for that weekend should be superb as well!

    Easter Treats at Green's Cafe

    So after a long, hard day of making beautiful crafts at Allan Bank, or searching high and low for eggs, why not pop into Green's Cafe to refuel? As always, we'll have a special cake for the occasion which hasn't been decided yet - this is a picture of last years tasty creation! As well as that, we have a great children's menu which you can have a look at here and we'll be running a specials menu especially for the holidays, so keep your eyes peeled for when we post it!

    Please don't hesitate to contact us if you've any further questions and if you're a larger group then we'd recommend giving us a ring on 015394 35790 to book to avoid any disappointment! We look forward to seeing you!