Wordsworth house to remain open to the public
It comes after a petition gathered over 1200 signatures.
Markus Campbell-Savours, Member of Parliament for Penrith and Solway, launched a public petition in July to protect the future of Wordsworth House in Cockermouth, following reports that the National Trust was considering scaling back access to the historic site.
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.
He 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.
"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.
Jez Westgarth, assistant director of operations for Cumbria and North Lancashire for the National Trust 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 and 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 as normal for winter on 5 November and will re-open 3 to 4 days a week during 2026."