Beatrix Potter Afternoon Half Day Tour with Lake Cruise

You can join this tour:

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.

What is included in this tour:

• Half Day Tour
• Cruise on Windermere from Bowness to Ambleside
• Optional admission to Hill Top
• Knowledgeable guide to provide expert commentary and analysis, as well as taking care of practicalities and general support throughout the tour
• Experienced driver for your safety on the steep, narrow and twisty Lakeland roads
• Small group of up to 7 people for a more flexible and personalised experience
• Use of personal radio communication technology to keep you in-touch with your guide when you are off the minibus (where applicable)

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

Itinerary

This half day tour will take you to all the important places associated with Beatrix Potter in just one afternoon. 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 afternoon starts with a short drive for 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.

A short drive will bring us to Ambleside for a 35 minute cruise on Windermere back to Bowness.

Additional Information

• 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
• No food or drink is included in the tour price
• Suitable for solo travellers
• This tour is not suitable for children under the age of 7

You Might Also Like

If you’d like to explore more of Beatrix Potter’s Lake District, our Beatrix Potter Morning Tour visits Hill Top, Hawkshead village and Tarn Hows. Want an exclusively private experience with your own guide? Our Private Beatrix Potter Afternoon Tour is just for your group. Fellow literary travellers may also enjoy our Wordsworth Afternoon Tour or our Wordsworth Morning Tour. Visiting from the US? Our American Visitors Guide has all the practical information you need.

Check the availability for Beatrix Potter Afternoon Half Day Tour with Lake Cruise

To display the available dates for this tour please answer the questions below.

Number of people in your party: 1234567

Please select where you will join the tour:
Bowness at approx. 14:08 returning around 17:49, travel by     £99.00 per person
Windermere at approx. 14:00 returning around 17:59, travel by     £99.00 per person
We don't charge extra for any of the pickup points where you travel only by  

We can accept bookings up to 30 minutes before the departure time from your chosen pickup point, provided that we have availability.

You will not need to print anything out. Just book, read the confirmation email and wait at the pickup point!

Dates that are available for your group size are highlighted below in Orange. To book, simply click on one of these dates and complete the next page with your details.

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