Take a tour of William Wordsworth’s Guide to the Lakes with Professors Saeko Yoshikawa and Stephen Gill. These two expert scholars join Principal Curator Jeff Cowton in Grasmere for this special online event, which will be broadcast live from the atmospheric special exhibition room at Wordsworth Grasmere.  

Wordsworth’s Guide, the first version of which was published in 1810, stood in stark contrast to other travellers’ guidebooks of the time. He referred to his Guide as a ‘guide and companion’ for use by residents and visitors. It would he hoped, encourage ‘habits of more exact and considerate observation’. Rather than setting out an itinerary, he described the harmonious natural and human co-existence in the area, and what he saw as the contemporary threats to it. Our speakers will discuss the historical context of the Guide and its various versions over many years, culminating in Saeko Yoshikawa’s 2022 edition for the Oxford World’s Classics series. 

Our speakers will also take a close-up look – and offer their responses – to some of the art, books and manuscripts in our exhibition ‘To the Lakes!’, which explores the experiences of the Lake District’s first tourists.  

Tickets: https://wordsworth.org.uk/blog/events/guide-to-the-lakes/ ‎