Beatrix Potter: Morning Half Day All-Inclusive Tour with an Expert Guide One-day tour

Our partner: English Lakes Tours

Description

This tour takes you to:

  • Wray Castle where Beatrix spent her 16th birthday and first discovered the Lake District where she was to later make her home.
  • Near Sawrey village which Beatrix visited often, used as inspiration for her illustrations and where she happily settled and married.
  • Hill Top, the house which Beatrix bought from the money she made from the publication of Peter Rabbit.
  • Esthwaite Water where Beatrix fished from her boat and said was "the most beautiful of the lakes...some scenery is almost theatrical or ultra-romantic".
  • Hawkshead village where she visited her future husband, William Heelis on business.
  • Tarn Hows bought by Beatrix as part of the vast Monk Coniston Estate and regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the Lake District.
  • Coniston Water with spectacular views of the lake and Coniston Old Man and from where Beatrix's Monk Coniston Estate land started which she left in her will to the National Trust to be worked and preserved for the nation.
  • Yewdale Valley where Beatrix owned farms and land including Yew Tree Farm which you may recognise from the film Miss Potter.
     

Additional Features:

  • Gift Shops at Hill Top and Hawkshead village
  • Comfort facilities available at Hill Top, Tarn Hows, Wray Castle & Hawkshead village
  • Suitable for solo travellers 

What´s Included

Live commentary on board
Knowledgeable guide available throughout the tour
WiFi on board
Air-conditioned vehicle

What to bring

  • The English Lake District weather can change quickly, even in the summer months. Please bring a waterproof coat with a hood in case of rain or windy weather.
  • As there is some walking involved in the tour, some uphill and on uneven or wet terrain, please wear suitable, comfortable shoes. 

Additional information

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • All passengers, including children of any age, must have a seat purchased for them
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Please ensure that you are at your chosen departure point at least 5 minutes before your pickup time. The minibus will be unable to wait for you if you are not there and you will miss your tour. Due to local traffic conditions the bus may arrive later than expected. Please wait 10 minutes after the quoted departure time before calling. The English Lake District weather can change quickly, even in the summer months. Please bring a waterproof coat with a hood in case of rain or windy weather. As there may be a small amount of walking involved in the tour, some uphill and on uneven or wet terrain, please wear suitable, comfortable shoes. No food or drink is included in the tour price.

Itinerary

Excursion
Itinerary
More details

Itinerary

This half day tour will take you to all the important places associated with Beatrix Potter in just one morning. This is one of our most popular tours and gets fully booked quickly so please book early as we have limited places and dates available. 

 Your morning starts with a visit to Wray Castle for spectacular scenery and lake views. This is the holiday home where Beatrix first fell in love with the Lake District. 

While on holiday, Beatrix visited many of the small villages in the area and Near Sawrey became her favourite. This village features in many of her "little books" illustrations. The Tower Bank Arms is immediately recognisable as the place where Kep, the collie-dog goes looking for the two fox-hound puppies to rescue Jemima Puddle-duck. You will be amazed when you see it, exactly like it is in the book! 

One of the reasons why Beatrix visited Near Sawrey so often was because while staying on holiday in the area, the Potter's coachman and his family were lodging at a farm there. That farm was Hill Top and is the one Beatrix later bought with the profits from publishing Peter Rabbit. She often visited her 'holiday home' Hill Top and wrote many more books here which were inspired by the people and the places around her in this beautiful part of England. 

We stop at Near Sawrey and Hill Top for you to see the locations which are so recognisable in the books and the place where Beatrix Potter lived. Entry to Hill Top is not included in the price of this tour but you do have the option to book an entry ticket when you book a place on this tour (see the booking page). 

Close by Hill Top is Esthwaite Water where Beatrix walked while courting her future husband, William Heelis. This was a favourite spot for Beatrix who thought it "the most beautiful of the Lakes". 

William Heelis was a solicitor who advised Beatrix about her land purchases. His offices were in Hawkshead village. Your guide will take you on a short tour of this, "the most picturesque village in the Lake District". 

Beatrix bought a lot of land in the Lake District and owned the beauty spot Tarn Hows. Here you will have a photo opportunity here and then, after a short scenic drive, Coniston Water comes into view. 

Coniston Water is the third largest lake in the Lake District and is the straightest. You will have a short stop here to admire the view and see the famous fell of Coniston Old Man towering over the village and the lake. 

Beatrix also owned a lot of farms in the area and as we travel down the Yewdale Valley back to Ambleside, you will see Yew Tree Farm, famous as a location in the film "Miss Potter".