Nab Cottage was originally built in 1556 though little was recorded of the simple farmstead until over 100 years later when, in 1662, Margaret Parke was left widowed here with 3 baby sons. She was forced to borrow money to pay for her husband’s funeral and spent much of the rest of her life spinning thread to pay back her debts. One of her sons, John, vowed to make a success of the farm. In1676 the family had one cow on the common though by 1699 this had grown to a flock of 60. By 1702 John was well enough off to rebuild the house. He commemorated this with the inscription over the porch. I A P 1702

On March 13, 1802, William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy walked from their home at Townend (now called Dove cottage) to see if there were any letters for them at Rydal. Dorothy wrote in her journal: ‘’it was terribly cold – we had 2 or 3 brisk hail showers. The hailstones looked clean and pretty upon the dry clean road. Little Peggy Simpson was standing at the door catching the hailstones in her hand.’’

The porch from which she reached out to catch the hailstones, is still here. In fact the whole south-facing front of the cottage, slate-roofed and white plastered, with pointed stone mullioned windows, a black diamond shaped date stone above the porch, and one of the fat round Lakeland chimneys which Wordsworth loved so much, has changed little since then.

Little Peggy Simpson was later courted by one of England’s best known Romantic authors, Thomas de Quincey. They married in 1817 and lived together with their baby son at Nab Cottage. De Quincey took up journalism and edited the Westmorland Gazette. His writing desk is still in the sitting room beside the fire. By 1833 however, de Quincey was struggling with his opium addiction and the couple with their 6 children were forced to leave Nab.

A new tenant, also gifted and imaginative, moved in. He was Hartley Coleridge the son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Hartley, known throughout the area as a warm and witty storyteller, lived here for the final years of his life. He died here, with Wordsworth beside him, in 1849.

During the mid 20th century the farmland surrounding the cottage was sold. The barn has become an inspiring workshop/dance venue; the pig house has been converted into a simple sauna; the bee boles in the garden remain. So do the beams, the spice cupboards, the creaking boards, the flagged floors, and the wonderful spirit of the place.

And all this in the Nab
Where Quince and Hartley dreamt of fame
Eating the young pink char from Rydal
Learning first how hard it was
just to wake up to the light on the lake

 William Scammell