A day out visiting Beatrix Potter's favourite places.

We decided to choose the Beatrix Potter’s Favourite Countryside Tour because we were intrigued to discover many of the places which inspired Beatrix Potter to write her special tales, whilst exploring the South Lakes at the same time.

The afternoon started with a pick up from the Tourist Information Centre in Windermere. Time was on our side and we were due to make a stop at the Victorian, non-gothic building, Wray Castle. However filming was taking place for a star studded remake of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which is good for Beatrix Potter fans because the new Hollywood blockbuster called “Peter Rabbit”, is scheduled for a March 2018 premier. The true beauty of the Mountain Goat tour was the Tour Guides ability to improvise to ensure passengers had the best possible experience. Instead of skipping Wray Castle and going straight to the next scheduled destination, our Tour Guide (Matt) took us to a beautiful village called Ambleside which was on route to Hill Top Farm. We had approximately 15 minutes to grab an ice cream and to explore the cobbled streets of Ambleside. After Ambleside we made our way through the Southern Lake District, enjoying the beautiful scenery of the mountains, lakes and several villages whilst learning some interesting facts from our knowledgeable Tour Guide.

The next stop was Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top Farm, where Miss Potter wrote many of her famous, much loved children’s stories. We had approximately 30 minutes here, where we had the opportunity to: go into the house which was full of Beatrix’s things (as if she still lived there); explore the gardens and visit the shop. The Farm is also adjacent to the house where Beatrix and her husband lived and it is surrounded by her favourite sheep, the Herdwick sheep (Herdys).

The tour then continued onto the medieval village of Hawkshead, where we had about 50 minutes to have lunch and enjoy the delightful features the village had to offer, such as: The Beatrix Potter Gallery; Hawkshead Grammar School (William Wordsworth’s old Grammar School); St Michael and All Angels Church.

Onwards then, we headed to the renowned beauty spot of Tarn Hows. A Tarn is defined as a “small mountain lake”, which is exactly what it is – a small lake located in the low-level hills between the villages of Coniston and Hawkshead. It is one of the most photographed and visited locations in the Lake District, surrounded by thick woodland, Herdwick sheep and views of the Helvellyn range and the Langdale Pikes. It was a great place to photograph and the stop allowed us to soak up some of the stunning views the Lake District has to offer.

After capturing the beauty at Tarn Hows we then made our way to Waterhead where we enjoyed a 30 minute cruise on England’s largest lake, Lake Windermere. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day so we could enjoy sitting on the top deck of the boat whilst taking in the scenery from the lake and the fell ranges.
 

Once arriving in Bowness, our Tour Guide Matt was there to greet us and he took us up to the gorgeous Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, which was once owned by Beatrix Potter herself. For those who wished to finish the day in style, cream tea at the beautiful hotel was available, alternatively those who wished to get back, Matt then made his way back to the Tourist Information Centre in Windermere.
 

If you’re in the Lake District, don’t miss out on this tour – it’s the best way to see a lot.