Hawkshead is a village located in the Lake District. You’ll find it a short 15-minute drive from the town of Ambleside and west of Lake Windermere.
Once an important wool market in medieval times, Hawkshead is arguably the prettiest village in the Lake District today.
The village centre is a car-free zone, making it even easier to wander the old alleyways and soak up the charm. You’ll see typical white-washed houses, cobbled streets and narrow archways. Expect old-timey tea houses and pubs, which are the ideal spots to have a relaxed lunch.
The village today is mostly famous for being the home of the Beatrix Potter Gallery. You’ll find it right on the main street in a quaint 17th-century house. Visit to learn more about this beloved English author and illustrator of children’s books. The gallery displays her original artwork.
Potter spent most of her adult life in the Lake District living at Hill Top cottage in Near Sawrey, a few minutes drive from Hawkshead. She was a keen farmer and conservationist.
After her death in 1943 she left her 15 farms and cottages, as well as 4,000 acres of land, in the care of the National Trust. This helped conservation efforts in what now makes up the Lake District National Park.
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