Jeremy Barlow, National Trust Property Manager for the Buttermere valley gives his first reactions to the flooding of Wordsworth House in Cockermouth, Cumbria

“We’ve just been allowed back in for the first time by the police. Initial reaction is just one of shock to see such a beautiful building and gardens looking so totally destroyed. We are very lucky though in that main historic showrooms have remained unscathed; the water level was inches below getting into the main part of the house.

“But the gardens are devastated. The particularly sad thing for us is that the historic garden walls, some of which were overlooking the river Derwent, which is what created the terrace – that Wordsworth wrote about in the Prelude and where he and Dorothy used to play as children – they are completely disappeared. Stones are there walls totally collapsed.

“Other key parts house: our cellars and shop and visitor reception area, are smeared with thick vile mud; there’s rubbish everywhere. It’s incredible that there is stuff from all over the town in the house and garden. You walk through and there’s toys from the toy shop down the roads, wool from the wool shop 400 metres down main street. All of the material gathered from properties further down has ended up in Wordsworth house.

“It’s quite a shocking scene, but we will get it cleaned up. We’re pretty confident that we can get the place back on its feet. It’s going to be a lot of hard work over next few weeks.

“We got some magnificent staff and volunteers who are really part of the local community here. Actually my first job here is to support them. Several staff lost their own homes and one had to be airlifted out of their home on Thursday night. So there are a complex range of issues to deal with. It’s not just a case of getting skip, cleaning up and moving on; there all sorts of personal and social issues here.

“There’s been a tremendous local spirit. The church hall volunteers have been feeding people and giving them warm drinks; there’s a magnificent effort going on here.

“No historic contents of the house have been damaged; we managed to move the most precious item which is John Wordsworth’s desk – which was William’s father and is on loan to us. We managed to move it to a higher floor with volunteers wading though deep muddy water to do that.

“It’s going to be difficult; it’s going to be a long haul but we’ll do it sensitively and I’m pretty confident that Wordsworth house will be open next year.

“I think from the National Trust’s point of view, we can do something to help Cockermouth by getting the house up and running very soon, bringing visitors back to Cockermouth and telling the message that Cockermouth is still a lovely town; it’s a beautiful Lake District town and we really want to celebrate that.“

For an update on the clear-up, please see the National Trust’s website.

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