Petition launches to save Cockermouth’s Wordsworth House

A petition has been launched to save the future Cockermouth’s Wordsworth House.

Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith & the Solway, has launched the petition after the National Trust revealed the future use of the childhood home of poet William Wordsworth was under review.

It said the attraction was losing money and had low visitor numbers. The National Trust said it wanted to explore new uses for the building.

Local volunteers and business leaders have expressed deep concern about any scaling back of the visitor attraction itself.

Mr Campbell-Savours said: “This is not just about bricks and mortar – it’s about preserving the soul of our town.

“Wordsworth House is a national treasure and a vital part of our local identity. We must not allow it to be diminished or forgotten.”

However, the National Trust said the attraction lost a ‘six-figure sum’ each year and visitor numbers had fallen by 30 per cent.

The petition calls on the National Trust to halt any plans that would reduce public access to the house and to work with the community to develop a sustainable model that honours its full historical and cultural significance.

Joe Murray, co-chair of the Cockermouth and District Chamber of Trade, added: “Wordsworth House & Garden is part of the fabric of Cockermouth – as an historic building, but also as a destination for residents and visitors alike.

“It is one of our main tourist attractions, which drives footfall to our businesses, and it is a vital resource for local people, particularly schoolchildren and literature and history lovers.

“We made contact with the National Trust as soon as we heard its future was under review as we want to work in partnership with them, and other organisations, to ensure it remains open to all, at the heart of our town.

“We will be meeting with trust management to discuss what we can do together.

“The community saved this building from demolition in 1937 when there were plans to turn the site into a bus station. Today, the Wordsworth House website says the trust wants it ‘to be looked after for everyone, for ever’. That’s exactly what must happen.”

The petition is available online and in local venues across Cockermouth. Mr Campbell-Savours has pledged to present it in Parliament and seek cross-party support to safeguard the site’s future.

To sign the petition, visit https://www.campbellsavours.uk/wordsworth_house