HOME OF POET UNDER THE HAMMER

Imagine a time when poets were rock stars, their work read avidly by millions of fans. That time was not so long ago.

Until only 70 years ago poets such as Edgar Alan Poe, WB Yeats, John Keats, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas Hardy were as famous as Ed Sheeran is today – and possibly more so.

The biggest star of this lyrical firmament, it can be argued, was William Wordsworth whose poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud endures today as a shining example of the poetic artform.

And this house in the Quantock Hills of Somerset is where Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived for two years and where they renewed their friendship with Coleridge, who lived nearby.

This proved fruitful for the two Romantic poets.

While living at the property, Wordsworth penned one of his most famous poems – Tintern Abbey – while Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Called Alfoxton Park, Wordsworth’s former home is now due to be auctioned on October 31.

The Grade II property, which in 1959 was converted into a hotel but has been vacant for several years, includes a huge basement, 16 bedrooms, three reception rooms, staff accommodation in the attic and a huge basement.

The winning bidder will also get a tennis court, a cottage, a 55-acre deer park and woodland and walled garden. The property has a guide price of between £500,000 and £750,000.

More information can be obtained from kivells.com or call 01392 252262.