Fodor's Expert Review Rydal Mount

If there's one poet associated with the Lake District, it is Wordsworth, who made his home at Rydal Mount from 1813 until his death. Wordsworth and his family moved to these grand surroundings when he was nearing the height of his career, and his descendants still live here, surrounded by his furniture, his books, his barometer, and portraits. You can see the study in which he worked, Dorothy's bedroom, and the 4½-acre garden, laid out by the poet himself, that gave him so much pleasure.

Wordsworth's favorite footpath can be found on the hill past White Moss Common and the River Rothay. Spend an hour or two walking the paths and you may understand why the great poet composed most of his verse in the open air. A tearoom in the former saddlery provides cakes and drinks; in winter, it moves into the dining room.