Hill Top
The farmhouse home of Beatrix Potter, author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Its interior furnishings and garden match the scenes in her picture books one by one.
Hill Top Farm lies in the village of Near Sawrey on the west shore of Windermere. In 1905, Beatrix Potter used the royalties from her first picture books to buy this 17th-century farmhouse. Illustrations for several of her works, including The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck and The Tale of Tom Kitten, were drawn from its rooms, staircase and vegetable garden. After her death, she left the farm, along with more than 4,000 acres of land, to the National Trust, and everything inside has been kept as it was. The house is very small and entry is by timed slot, so in peak season be sure to book in advance on the National Trust website. Tickets cost about a dozen pounds. Getting there: take the ferry from Bowness across the lake, then ride the summer “Goat Bus” or walk about 3 km. You can also drive, but parking spaces are very limited. Nearby, you can stop by the village of Hawkshead to visit the Beatrix Potter Gallery. Photography is not allowed inside the house.
Opening hours
Open approx. March–October; hours per National Trust website; closed in winter
Nearby sights
- Windermere
- Hawkshead
- Wray Castle
- The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
- Grizedale Forest
- Tarn Hows
- Ambleside
- Brantwood