What's On in Ambleside This Week

3 events on in Ambleside this week, including Ghost Story! Into the Gothic Imagination at Wordsworth Grasmere and Twilight Tales in Dove Cottage at Wordsworth Grasmere.

• Ghost Story! Into the Gothic Imagination

  Tuesday 7 July · 11:00 – 17:00

  Wordsworth Grasmere, Ambleside

  An exhibition at Wordsworth Grasmere. Venture into the fateful night that inspired one of the world’s greatest Gothic tales: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Beginning with the reimagined bedroom of Mary Shelley, step into a spellbinding world of moonlit woods, haunting seas and waking dreams. See rare books, manuscripts and treasures from famous Gothic writers including Lord Byron, Emily Brontë, John Polidori and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Drawing upon some of the most iconic works of Gothic literature, this immersive exhibition explores the uncanny stories and fantastical ideas that laid the foundations for modern horror and fantasy fiction.

• Twilight Tales in Dove Cottage

  Wednesday 21 October · 17:00 – 18:30

  Wordsworth Grasmere, Ambleside

  Are you ready for a spooky Halloween? Join us for hot chocolate, gingerbread, and Halloween crafts in our cosy Learning Space. Children will have fun dressing up in Georgian costumes while learning about the Wordsworths and hearing some of their writing. At twilight we’ll all head over to Dove Cottage and listen to some spooky Cumbrian stories – perfect for a special Halloween in the Lake District! For families with children aged 5+ (younger siblings can also be booked onto this session).

• After Hours at Dove Cottage: Gothic Monsters

  Thursday 22 October · 19:30 – 21:00

  Wordsworth Grasmere, Ambleside

  Discover the origins of modern horror and fantasy fiction in this bewitching storytelling event. This time the theme is MONSTERS: the human and inhuman monsters of Gothic horror, with a focus on those found in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Last Man and the works that inspired them. The evening begins with a themed tour of Ghost Story! Into the Gothic Imagination. Find out about the monsters and monstrous in the books, manuscripts and artworks in the exhibition, including characters from works by Mary Shelley and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. After exploring the exhibition, gather around the hearth in Dove Cottage for performed readings from some of these terrifying tales.