Allan Bank, Grade II listed villa in Grasmere, England
Allan Bank is a two-storey country house on elevated ground west of Grasmere village, with multiple chimneys and architectural details from the early 1800s. The building sits within grounds that blend lawns and woodland, where visitors can wander between the house and surrounding landscape.
A Liverpool lawyer named John Gregory Crump built the house in 1805, but it partially collapsed shortly after completion and had to be reconstructed. This restoration shaped the appearance of the building as it stands today.
The house takes its name from a nearby stream, and visitors can see the rooms where Wordsworth worked and his family lived during those years. The spaces reveal how the poet spent his days and offer insight into the domestic life of a major literary figure.
The property is managed by the National Trust and open to visitors who can explore both the interior and the surrounding gardens and woodland. The grounds are pleasant for walking, and red squirrels often appear among the trees, particularly in the afternoon.
Wordsworth initially called it a temple of abomination, yet moved there when his family outgrew Dove Cottage, their previous home. This unexpected change of mind reveals how practical needs sometimes override first impressions.
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