First published in 1810 and repeatedly revised by its author over the ensuing 25 years, Wordsworth’s Guide to the Lakes has long been considered a crucial text for scholars of Romantic-era aesthetics, ecology, travel writing, and tourism. Though the fifth edition of 1835 (the last revised by Wordsworth) has remained available in reprints and scholarly editions, earlier editions of the Guide continue to be scarce. This is particularly true of the original 1810 version, which appeared as an anonymous prose supplement to a set of Lake District sketches by the Rev. Joseph Wilkinson. This new digital edition therefore aims to provide scholars, students, and general readers easy and open access to key editions of the Guide from Wordsworth’s lifetime, including full scans of Wilkinson’s 1810 sketches and Wordsworth’s 1810 and 1835 texts.
Table of Contents
- About this Edition
- II. Introduction
- III. The Guide to the Lakes (1835)
Annotated and illustrated text of Wordsworth’s fifth and final edition - IV. Select Views of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire (1810)
Full-text Transcription of Wordsworth's essay, page scans, and searchable text of this first version of the Guide
- Select Views Letterpress (scans of original printing)
- Wilkinson’s Sketches (scans of all 48 prints)
- Parallel-Text Table: Five Versions of the Guide (1810–1835)
Downloadable pdf showing sequential revisions, deletions, and additions across first 5 eds.
- V. Appendices
Scholarly resources for studying the Guide
About
Originally Published Date: 1810 & 1835
Wordsworth's Guide to the Lakes © 2020 by William Wordsworth, Nicholas Mason, Paul Westover, and Romantic Circles is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0