Dove Cottage is full of character. Some 100 years after Wordworth lived there, this poster captured the intimacy and charm of the place. And it still looks pretty much the same today.

It was painted by Norman Wilkinson for London Midland Scottish Railway as a promotional tool for the visitor experience at the cottage. Today it’s home to The Wordsworth Trust, who care for the site along with a huge collection of Wordsworth books, archive and museum items.

 This time next year the Trust will celebrate William’s 250th birthday with a major remodelling of the site and a reinterpretation of the museum and visitor experience. I wrote the interpretation plan for the project a few years back, with the lovely people at Nissen Richards Studio. While the new museum on the site will be impressive and modern, we hope that the experience of visiting Dove Cottage will still look pretty similar to this painting.