Thomas Carlyle was an influential writer and philospher in the 1800s, and he had a lot of connections in the arts, science, and writing communities of the time. A couple of years ago, I visited the house that he and his wife rented in west London (An Afternoon at Carlyle's House (National Trust)), and in early August this year, I visited his birthplace in southern Scotland and managed by National Trust for Scotland.
Carlyle was born in this house in Ecclefechan in 1795, but he did not live in the house for too long. It was built by his father and uncle. When Carlyle was 13, he walked from Ecclefechan to Edinburgh to attend university. The house has not been updated since 1881. When Carlyle passed away, a huge crowd gathered due to his popularity, and people kept visiting and wished to see inside the house.
Carlyle was fascinated with Germany, and he wrote several history books.
The rooms to visit in the house include the parlour room. It contains items that would have been found in the house during Carlyle's time.
Upstairs are two small rooms to see. The bedroom contains the cradle that Carlyle was born in.
The other room was more of a museum with cabinets filled with personal information and items hung on the wall.
The guides at Thomas Carlyle's birthplace were very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and they really helped the house come to life.
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