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Hill Top and Hawkshead
Lake DistrictBeatrix Potter's farmhouse retreat: the inspiration for her little books.
Near Sawrey, Cumbria, LA22 0LF
Book a visit
M T W T F S S Open
Closed
Opening times for 28 October 2026
Asset Opening time House 10:00 - 17:00 Garden 10:00 - 17:00 Shop 10:00 - 17:00 Book a visitHill Top house & garden
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £18.70 £17.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £9.40 £8.50 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £46.80 £42.50 Family (1 Adult and up to 3 children) £28.10 £25.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Assistance dogs only
Assistance dogs only in the house. Dogs on leads are welcome in the garden.
- Bookshop
Our second-hand book nook is located in the Visitor Reception.
- Car park
Limited capacity in the car park. Please book your Hill Top tickets in advance. Due to the nature of the site, an accessible parking space is located at the farmhouse. Please ask at Visitor Reception for details.
- Cycle parking
Cycle parking is located outside Visitor Reception. Ask at the Visitor Reception if you want to borrow a lock. Puncture repair kit also available on request.
- Picnic area
In the orchard including accessible picnic benches.
- Shop
Shop is located at the bottom of the orchard, selling gifts, books and toys.
- Toilet
Baby items and feminine hygiene available free. There is a step free toilet located in the car park (radar key available from Visitor Reception).
Unfortunately there is no wheelchair or step free access to the upper floor of the house. A video of the upstairs rooms are available on a tablet. Some steps into and out of the garden and uneven surfaces. Braille & large print guides and Tactile tour are available from house entrance. Please ask a member of the welcome team. Ramp available for shop entrance. Ear defenders and fidgets to borrow during your visit.
- Braille (guide or menu)
Braille guides are available at the House upon request. Braille copies of Beatrix's tales are located in the Visitor Reception.
- Designated parking
Due to the nature of the site, accessible parking is located at the farmhouse. Please ask at Visitor Reception for details.
- Drop-off point
Due to the nature of the site, accessible drop off point is located at the farmhouse. Please ask at Visitor Reception for details.
- Induction loop
At till points inside Visitor Reception and the Shop.
- Narrow corridors
- Seating available
Window seats available inside Hill Top. Benches and accessible picnic available in the orchard.
- Steps/uneven terrain
Four steps up to enter the site. Cobbled path up to Hill Top from the site entrance. Alternative smooth path available to use. Stairs to the upper level of Hill Top.
- Wheelchairs available
All terrain wheelchair available at Visitor Reception.
Visitor car park - what3words: ///tunes.midfield.kindest
- By road
- Take the B5286 and B5285 from Ambleside (6 miles), or the B5285 from Coniston (7 miles).Parking: Please pre‑book your admission if arriving by car, as parking is very limited. The car park has a maximum stay of 2 hours and closes at 5.30pm. It is not suitable for campervans or motorhomes.
- Windermere Lake Cruise Boat
- SEASONAL: 23 May- 27 September 2026 - Windermere Lake Cruises cross lake service from Bowness to Ash Landing. Hill Top is 2 miles from the jetty.
- On foot
- There is a mainly off-road path from Windermere car ferry and Ash Landing jetty (approx. 2 miles) see link to map below. There is also a route from Hawkshead (approx. 2 miles). No need to prebook tickets if arriving to Hill Top on foot.
- Cycling
- Bike racks are available in the car park. No need to prebook tickets if arriving to Hill Top by bike.
- By ferry
- A vehicle ferry operates across Windermere between Ferry Nab (Bowness) and Ferry House. It carries cars, bicycles and foot passengers, with crossings taking around 10 minutes each way. The ferry can carry up to 18 cars and over 100 passengers per sailing.
- By train
- The nearest train station is in Windermere, 4½ miles away via vehicle ferry.
- By bus
- There is no direct bus route to Hill Top.
Planning your visit
Article
A Hill Top Christmas Tale
Discover a cosy, storybook Christmas at Hill Top. Where Beatrix Potter’s characters have set the scene with twinkling decorations and seasonal delights. From Saturday 7 November - Sunday 13 December
Article
Access at Hill Top
We want to make sure that Hill Top is equally accessible for all visitors and are taking taken steps to ensure that as many people as possible can experience Hill Top’s story.
Article
Visiting Hill Top with your dog
Find out which areas of Hill Top you can explore with your dog. Hill Top is a one pawprint rated place.
Highlights
House
Beatrix Potter's farmhouse retreat: the inspiration for her little books. Full of her favourite things, it was the place that inspired her stories and her love for the Lake District.
Garden
Informal flower beds planted in the English cottage-garden style, with flowers and vegetables. Look out for scenes from Beatrix Potter's little white books.
JOEY's Café (independently run)
Cosy coffee cabin in Beatrix Potter’s orchard, serving baked goods, savoury snacks, locally roasted coffee, teas and hot chocolate.
Shop
A small treasure trove of unique products. Every penny that you spend in our shop helps us to look after Hill Top for everyone, for ever.
Second-hand book-nook
A small book nook in the ticket office selling pre‑loved hardbacks, paperbacks, magazines and children’s books. All money raised goes directly towards caring for Hill Top.
Hill Top Herdwick*
Farm tours run on selected dates, led by the Dixon family, who have farmed at Hill Top for over 35 years. These tours offer a rare glimpse into the working Lakeland farm as it is today. *Tours are run independently by our tenant farmers but can be booked at Hill Top visitor reception.
Tabitha Twitchit's Bookshop
Located in the nearby village of Hawkshead, Tabitha Twitchit’s Bookshop offers a wide range of pre‑loved books, including thrillers, autobiographies, cookbooks, walking guides and children’s titles. Set in a historic 17th‑century building that once housed the Beatrix Potter Gallery, it is the National Trust’s first standalone second‑hand bookshop in England.
Things to see and do
Article
A Hill Top Christmas Tale
Discover a cosy, storybook Christmas at Hill Top. Where Beatrix Potter’s characters have set the scene with twinkling decorations and seasonal delights. From Saturday 7 November - Sunday 13 December
Article
Things to see and do at Hill Top
Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top in 1905, shaping it into the rural retreat we see today. Step inside to explore the rooms and objects that reveal her interests, and spot real‑life scenes that appear in her illustrations.
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Watch Hill Top on Hidden Treasures of the National Trust
See behind the scenes at Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top, with BBC2's Hidden Treasures of the National Trust on BBC iPlayer.
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Things to see and do at Tabitha Twitchit's Bookshop
Find your next read at Tabitha Twitchit's Bookshop in Hawkshead
Spotlight events
Pets to Page: The Tale of Two Bad Mice
Explore how Beatrix drew inspiration for her tales from the pets and people in her life. See her dolls' house with items of food and furniture that Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb try to eat or steal in the Tale of Two Bad Mice.
Join us for a cosy Christmas experience (7 November - 13 December)
For the first time Hill Top is open for the festive season. Discover displays inspired by Beatrix Potter's Christmas cards, a fully decorated Christmas tree and decorations in the garden.
Shopping
Article
Shopping at Hill Top
The Hill Top shop has a variety of gifts inspired by Beatrix Potter and her life in the Lake District.
Places to stay
Tanner Brow
Sitting on the western shore of Lake Windermere, this first floor apartment is a cosy retreat.
High Strawberry Gardens
A simple lakeside retreat for an uplugged holiday, with a jetty to launch your canoe or kayak in Windermere.
Low Strawberry Gardens
A simple lakeside retreat for an uplugged holiday, with a jetty to launch your canoe or kayak into Windermere.
Trees
A 1930s log and stone cabin high above Lake Windermere with a sun terrace and great views.
Rose Castle Cottage
A two-bedroom cottage just above Tarn Hows with heaps of character in the heart of the Lakes.
Low Wray Campsite
By Windermere, England’s largest lake, surrounded by things to do and places to visit.
The Summer House
A cosy house in the old kitchen garden of Wray Castle with views of stunning scenery all around.
Upcoming events
Event
Mischief in Miniature
Discover mischievous needle-felted mice hiding throughout Hill Top as The Tale of Two Bad Mice springs to life. Explore each room and spot playful scenes inspired by Beatrix Potter stories.
Event
Pets to Page: The Tale of Two Bad Mice
Explore how Beatrix drew inspiration for her tales from the pets and people in her life.
Event
A Hill Top Christmas Tale
Step inside to discover a cosy, storybook Christmas at Hill Top. Beatrix Potter’s characters have set the scene with twinkling decorations, soft music and playful festive touches.
About Hill Top and Hawkshead
Immerse yourself in the tale of Beatrix Potter by visiting Hill Top. Full of her favourite things, it was the place that inspired her stories and her love for the Lake District.
The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Make your way up the garden path to the front door and see for yourself why Beatrix loved this place. Bought in 1905 with proceeds from her first book, the Tale of Peter Rabbit, she used Hill Top itself and the surrounding countryside as inspiration for many of her subsequent books
Pre‑booking is required for everyone, including National Trust members. Choose an arrival timeslot using our online booking system.
Tickets can be booked up to two weeks in advance and right up to a few minutes before each slot.
Hill Top is a traditional Lake District cottage with very limited parking, so we’re unable to accommodate campervans or motorhomes.
History
Article
Beatrix Potter
Discover how Beatrix Potter’s Victorian upbringing and fascination with animals culminated in a successful career as an author and illustrator and a passion for conservation.
Article
The stories behind the works of Beatrix Potter
Explore the stories behind the illustrations, sketches and letters of this legendary author, preserved by the National Trust at her former home in the Lake District.
The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio
The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio helps care for a large number of objects from National Trust properties across the country. See The Conservation Studio on BBC Two’s Hidden Treasures of the National Trust
Literary podcasts
Discover the literary connections to some of the special places in our care
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Hill Top.
