National Trust Coleridge Cottage

01/06/2026

It's Volunteers’ Week at Coleridge Cottage 🎉🪶

Behind every great poet… is an even greater team of volunteers.

From warm welcomes at the cottage door to tending the garden that inspired some of Coleridge's most famous works, our volunteers bring this special place to life every day.

They lead free walks through inspiring landscapes, tackle woodworm (less poetic, but very important!), keep the shop looking its best, prepare our much-loved 'Poet’s Lunch' and so much more!

In countless ways, they help keep Coleridge’s story living, breathing and still sparking imagination today.

👏 Thank you to our wonderful volunteers. We couldn’t do it without you!

📸NTI/SophieBolesworth

31/05/2026

🌿 Free guided walks from Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey!
If you’re looking for your next walk in the Quantocks, we regularly run free guided walks from Coleridge Cottage in Nether Stowey. With three different routes to choose from, there’s something for everyone 👣

🚶 Nether Stowey Village Walk
Delve into the history of the village that Samuel Taylor Coleridge called home for three years. This beginner-friendly stroll takes in highlights including Coleridge Cottage, St Mary’s Church and Castle Mount – the perfect introduction to the poet and the place that shaped his work.
🗓 Every Sunday | ⏰ 1pm

🌄 Stowey Surrounds
Ready for something a bit more adventurous? Step beyond the village into wooded hills, streams, valleys and open fields that Coleridge described as ‘a luxury of landscapes’. Connect with nature and explore the surroundings that inspired his poetry.
🗓 Next walk: 4 June | ⏰ 10:45–13:45

🌿 Wordsworth’s Home to Coleridge Cottage
Walk in the footsteps of Coleridge, William and Dorothy Wordsworth on this scenic ramble between Kilve, Alfoxton and Nether Stowey. Expect sweeping views, wildlife spotting and plenty of literary history along the way.
🗓 Next walk: 10 June | ⏰ 09:45–14:00

✅ All walks are FREE – but booking is essential to secure your spot.
👉 Find out more and book here:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/coleridge-cottage/events

If none of these quite fit your group, feel free to get in touch – we may be able to tailor a walk just for you (subject to availability):
📧 [email protected]

See you in the hills! 🌄

NTI/JohnMillar

27/05/2026

Days like this were made for wandering through the garden at Coleridge Cottage 🌿 🌞

It’s easy to see how this peaceful setting inspired some of Coleridge’s greatest work.

Take a seat in the lime-tree bower, listen to the birdsong and enjoy the beauty of this hidden gem 🌼

🏡Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 11am-4pm (last entry at 3pm)



📸Photos by Abi S

17/05/2026

🥾🌿 Walk in Coleridge’s footsteps on one of our free guided walks this week

Join one of our knowledgeable guides on a walk through the landscapes that inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge, from wooded hills and streams to open fields and wide‑reaching views. A chance to experience what he called “a luxury of landscapes”.

📅 Thursday 21 May
📍Starts at Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey
⏰ 11am–2pm
🎟️ Free, but booking essential > https://tinyurl.com/StoweySurroundsFreeWalk
🐕 Dogs on leads welcome

Normal admission applies if you’d like to visit Coleridge Cottage, and the tearoom is free to use.

View Stowey Surrounds | Walks Programme from National Trust.

12/05/2026

✉️ On this day in 1796… 🪶

Coleridge wrote to Thomas Poole, one of his closest friends and most important supporters. Their letters reveal a relationship built on trust, generosity and deep mutual respect- a vital source of encouragement during Coleridge’s uncertain early career.

Coleridge writes:
“I feel myself rich in being poor; and because I have nothing to bestow, I know how much I have bestowed.”

Discover more about the friendships that shaped Coleridge's life and writing at Coleridge Cottage.

Plan your visit here 👉: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/coleridge-cottage



📸NTI/Andreas von Einsiedel

03/05/2026

📣 Happening today at 1pm – join us for a free village walk! 🌿

Explore the charming village of Nether Stowey with one of our friendly walk leaders and uncover the places that inspired poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who called the village home for three years.

Meet us at Coleridge Cottage and enjoy this gentle, beginner-friendly walk taking in highlights including St Mary’s Church and Castle Mount – a perfect introduction to Coleridge and the village that shaped his work.

🐕 Dogs on leads are welcome
☕ The tearoom is free to use (normal admission applies if you’d like to visit Coleridge Cottage)
🚶‍♀️ Free walk, no booking required!
📍 Meet at Coleridge Cottage
⏰ Today at 1pm

We’d love to see you there!

30/04/2026

🥾✨ May is National Walking Month, and there’s no better place to walk than the landscapes that inspired Coleridge's greatest works.

Our Walking Programme offers free guided walks that explore the beautiful countryside around Nether Stowey and beyond. Whether you’re new to walking or looking for a longer ramble, there’s a route for everyone.

🌸 Nether Stowey Village Walk
Difficulty: Low | Next walk: Sunday 3 May, 12:45pm
A gentle guided stroll starting from Coleridge Cottage, exploring the village that shaped Coleridge’s life and writing.
⏱️ 1 hour

🌄 Stowey Surrounds Walk
Difficulty: Medium | Next walk: Thursday 7 May, 10:45am
Step out into wooded hills, valleys and wide‑open fields and discover the “luxury of landscapes” that fired Coleridge’s imagination.
⏱️ 3 hours

🌿 Alfoxton to Coleridge Cottage Walk
Difficulty: Medium/Hard | Next walk: Wednesday 27 May, 9:45am
A longer, rewarding walk linking Kilve, Alfoxton and Nether Stowey, following in the footsteps of Coleridge and the Wordsworths.
⏱️ Half‑day walk

✅ All walks are free, but pre‑booking is essential as places are limited.
🔗 Visit our website for full dates and booking details.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/coleridge-cottage/events

Join us this May and walk through poetry, history and inspiring scenery. 💚👣

📷NTI/Lis Ford

28/04/2026

Coleridge Cottage is back open tomorrow 🏡

Click through to see just some of the things you can enjoy when you visit 📖🪶

📅Open Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday
🕛10am-4pm (last entry 3pm)
👉Plan your visit here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/somerset/coleridge-cottage



📷NTI/SophieBolesworth

24/04/2026

☕ Local to Coleridge Cottage? This one’s for you! 🪶

Did you know that anyone living in a TA5 postcode is eligible to purchase a Local Residents’ Pass?

For £10, the pass gives you, plus your family or a friend, free entry to Coleridge Cottage for an entire year.

It's perfect for popping in, entertaining the kids, enjoying the garden, or taking a quiet moment with a poem and a brew.

Passes are available from the Welcome Parlour and every purchase helps us care for this special cottage and its story.

A year of visits, right on your doorstep. We’d love to welcome you in.🌿



📷Photo by Sophie Bolesworth

23/04/2026

🪶On this day in 1799, Coleridge was filled with anticipation at the thought of returning home. Writing to his wife from Germany, he imagined the moment his ship might finally reach the English coast:

'My dear Sara,—Surely it is unnecessary for me to say how infinitely I languish to be in my native country, and with how many struggles I have remained even so long in Germany! [...] This day in June I hope and trust that I shall be in England. Oh that the vessel could but land at Shurton Bars!'

Coleridge would in fact return to England a little later in July 1799, bringing to an end almost ten months abroad. During his absence, Sara had suffered the devastating loss of their infant son, Berkeley.



📷Photo by Abi S