The National Trust has revealed that Cockermouth’s Wordsworth House will open to the public next year.
It announced in July that its future use was under review and 2026 would see more focus put on the garden, rather than the house.
It has now been revealed that next year will see the house, the home of poet William Wordsworth, open three or four days a week to visitors. It is currently open for five days a week.
Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith and Solway, launched a petition in July to protect the future of Wordsworth House. It was signed by 1,200 people.
He has since met with the National Trust’s Jez Westgarth, assistant director of operations for Cumbria and North Lancashire, and Jane Saxon, general manager for north and west Lakes.
Mr Campbell-Savours said: “We took a walk around Wordsworth House and Gardens to discuss its future.
“I expressed the views of many residents and businesses in Cockermouth that the National Trust could have done a much better job of making it a thriving and commercially viable business.
“I was assured that the house will not be mothballed for 2026 – as had been feared – but that its opening will reduce from five to three or four days a week. This is not ideal, but better than a full closure of the house.
“The National Trust have assured me that they want to work closely with the community in Cockermouth to improve access to the house and garden and make it a more thriving space for the town and its visitors to enjoy.
“They know that I will be watching very closely to ensure that this is exactly what they deliver.
“The responses to my petition, which businesses kindly shared in their shops as well as people signing online, shows how much Wordsworth House and Garden is loved by people in Cockermouth.
“It really is a treasure, and I want to see good public engagement in 2026 to secure its long-term future as a thriving cultural hub in the town.
“My petition called on the National Trust to halt any plans to 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. I am grateful to everyone who signed it, and for the National Trust for listening.”
Joe Murray, co-chair of Cockermouth & District Chamber of Trade, said: “It is great to see the strength of feeling in the community about the future of Wordsworth House & Garden, and that the National Trust has agreed to keep the house open next year, albeit on reduced hours.
“That obviously isn’t ideal for Cockermouth – we want to retain the vibrant mix of attractions the town has to offer on as many days of the week as possible. However, we hope, through some strong publicity that people will continue to come and enjoy this important historical asset.
“Now we call on the trust to work with us and other community groups to give Wordsworth’s birthplace an exciting new future which attracts locals and visitors alike. Let’s look for a positive way forward.”
Mr Westgarth said: “We were pleased to welcome Markus to Wordsworth House and Garden, and clarify our future plans for this much-loved place in Cockermouth.
“Our priority is to work with the local community to ensure more people can access and enjoy heritage and history at Wordsworth House & Garden.
“This will start in spring 2026, and we are grateful for Markus’s support in helping us ensure this will include a broad range of members of the community, and support us to develop innovative ideas for its future.”
Wordsworth House & Garden will close for winter on November 5.
Wordsworth House runs at a six-figure loss each year.
The National Trust is battling to save money £26 million nationally.
The trust also originally said visitor numbers at the house were low, but did not reveal how many people visited the house each year.
We asked the trust for the visitor numbers to Wordsworth House each year.
The National Trust spokesman said: “We’ve seen a 30% decline in visitors to Wordsworth House and Garden since the pandemic, whereas National Trust visitor numbers are increasing overall.”
We asked the National Trust what the actual visitor numbers were for Wordsworth House and did not get a reply.
The National Trust also declined to share with Cumbria Crack the number of staff employed at Wordsworth House.
