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Hill Top which is in a place called Near Sawrey, was Potter's first home in the Lake District. The author wrote many of her books while living in this charming 17th-century house, drawing inspiration from both the countryside and the local wildlife. Hill Top is now a museum featuring collections of her personal paintings, furniture and china. Also included are illustrations of the Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck characters, all of which were all created here. Behind the cottage lies a beautiful small garden that's full of honeysuckles, foxgloves, strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb.
The award-winning World of Beatrix Potter is located near to the popular village Bowness-on-Windermere. This is the largest attraction dedicated to the author. Situated across Windermere from Hill Top, in Bowness, it features recreations of all of Potter's 23 tales in the forms of some delightful dioramas and interactive exhibits. These will all enthrall both children and adults alike. There are numerous highlights: Peter Rabbit's Garden, Jemima Puddleduck's woodland glade and a walk through Squirrel Nutkin's Old Oak Tree. The onsite Emporium stocks all the Peter Rabbit merchandise you could possibly hope for, including soft toys, kids clothes, mugs, figurines and even character-themed nurseries and bedrooms! The stories themselves are also on sale of course, in book, CD, and DVD formats. The Tailor of Gloucester Tea Room has a dedicated children's menu, as well as games and colouring competitions to ensure the kids will never get bored.
The Beatrix Potter Gallery is close to Hawkeshead in Cumbria. It is housed in a 17th-century town house, which was once the office of the author's husband, local solicitor William Heelis. The interiors remain largely unchanged from Potter's time and feature a large archive of her original storybook illustrations in both sketch and watercolour form, as well as a display telling her complete life story. The items on show change annually.
If you want to take in all the attractions it might be a good idea to consider the Beatrix Potter Walk, which starts in Bowness, crosses lake Windermere by ferry, stops at Hill Top and culminates at the Gallery in Hawkeshead. You can also include The World of Beatrix Potter as part of a tour of the local area, with boat trips around Windermere featuring prominently in the options available. Detailed guides can be found at the attraction itself. If you feel like walking a little further after visiting Hawkeshead, you can trek an extra couple of miles to Tarn Hows, which is part of Potter's 4,000-acre estate, and is regarded as one of the Lake District's top beauty spots. A shuttle service is also available to take in all the same stops from the opposite direction.
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