Private Tour: Beatrix Potter Afternoon with Lake Cruise

This is a private tour, only your group shares the vehicle.

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.

The private version of our Beatrix Potter Afternoon Half-Day Tour with Lake Cruise combines an exclusive guided afternoon through Potter country — Hill Top, Wray Castle, Near Sawrey and Hawkshead — with a cruise on Lake Windermere, all for your group alone.

Travelling privately gives you the freedom to set your own pace through the afternoon. If you want to spend longer at Hill Top or take a quieter moment on the shores of Esthwaite Water, your guide can make that happen. The Windermere cruise at the end of the day is a wonderful way to see the landscape Beatrix Potter worked so hard to protect from the water, and on a private booking the whole experience feels intimate and unhurried.

This is a popular choice for groups celebrating birthdays or anniversaries, and for families with children who want a relaxed, flexible afternoon without the constraints of a shared itinerary. Up to seven guests can travel together in the vehicle.

What is included in this tour:

• Half Day Tour
• Included admission to Hill Top
• 35 minute cruise on England's largest natural lake, Windermere
• 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
• 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

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 cruise on England's largest natural lake, Windermere. Then a short drive takes us 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 included in the price of this tour.

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".

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

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This tour is also available as a shared small-group experience on our Beatrix Potter Afternoon Half-Day Tour. For a private morning in Beatrix Potter’s world, our Private Beatrix Potter Morning Tour is the perfect companion. Visiting from the US? Our American Visitors Guide has all the practical information you need.

Check the availability for Private Tour: Beatrix Potter Afternoon 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:
Hotel Pickup at approx. 14:00 returning around 18:00, travel by     £449.00 per group
Bowness at approx. 14:00 returning around 18:00, travel by     £449.00 per group
Windermere at approx. 14:00 returning around 18:00, travel by     £449.00 per group
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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