Stars back bid to 'save' Wordsworth's home

Brian Cox, Miriam Margolyes and Paul McGann are among actors, artists and writers calling for the final home of Romantic poet William Wordsworth to be saved as a site of literary heritage.

Ambleside's Rydal Mount, where Wordsworth lived from 1813 until his death in 1850, was recently put up for sale with descendant Christopher Wordsworth saying it was "harder and harder" to manage the Lake District property from his home in London.

Grade I listed, it is open to the public for 10 months each year and also hosts events.

The well-known names say they hope to enlist institutes, academies and financial backers to protect the house and gardens for future generations.

Wordsworth rented the property and designed the gardens and it was bought by his descendants in 1969.

Speaking on the 175th anniversary of the poet's death, Succession star Cox said: "We have to save it.

"It's too often we are losing our incredible links with the past and this is one major link to the past that we cannot lose."

Fellow actor Tom Conti described the property as "inherently important to the Lake District" and warned: "If it's taken over by someone who doesn't care and who won't open the door to the public then it's gone forever."

Margoyles, meanwhile, said it was as "treasure" that "belongs to the nation".

McGann added: "Wordsworth described Rydal Mount as 'the loveliest spot man hath ever found'. I felt the same when visiting last year.

"It would be a tragedy if the public were no longer able to experience this beautiful and inspiring place."

A campaign has been organised by the poet's great great great great granddaughter Charlotte Wontner, who is also Christopher Wordsworth's first cousin.

She said there was "so much love for Rydal Mount and the gardens within the literary and arts community" as well as from conservation and environmental groups.

"The doors were always open to visitors in the poet's day and I think it is more important than ever that this continues in these challenging times," she said.

Speaking earlier this month, Christopher Wordsworth said it had been "a very difficult decision" to put the property up for sale.

"The Lake District is unfortunately five-and-a-half hours away on a good drive and it's just getting harder and harder to run it remotely."

He also said he hoped prospective buyers would want to keep the home open to the public so visitors could "enjoy it the way Wordsworth lived in it".

"We've kept it open 10 months a year for the last 50 years, so it would be lovely if the same thing happened."

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