Dorothy Wordsworth distinguished herself in many ways from women of her time. She never married, she was a fantastic journal writer, and she loved to be outside and explore nature. She sought healing by herself and with friends as she walked the Lake District around Grasmere where she and her brother William lived. She walked mountains recreationally (a rare hobby for her time, especially for women) and was one of the first to scale Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England. Her legacy survives through her journals, her letters, her travel writing, and the poems that her recorded memories inspired William to write.
Images from Wordsworthshire: An Introduction to a Poet’s Country, courtesy of the Harold B. Lee Library, Special Collections.
