These two twin lakes are over on the quieter, western fringes of the Lake District. They can be reached from Honister Pass or by travelling up the western coast of Cumbria. The lakes are separated by a narrow strip of meadowland and surrounded by dramatic peaks.
This is great spot for serious walkers and climbers. Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike tower above the valley. One of the more famous, slightly easier walks in the area is to Scale Force, a waterfall which plunges free fall for nearly 100 feet.
There are campsites, a few Bed and Breakfasts and a couple of pubs and cafes in the village, but this is definitely one of the quieter, less touristy parts of the Lake District.
The Lake District National Park is one of 14 National parks in the United Kingdom. The Lakes lie entirely within Cumbria, and is one of England's few mountainous regions. All the land in England higher than three thousand feet above sea level lies within the Park. The Lakes, as the region is also called, were made famous during the early 19th century by the poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets.
Beatrix Potter and the Lake District
Beatrix Potter first visited the Lake District along with her family on their annual holidays. They rented a number of different houses during the summer months around Windermere and Derwentwater.
The success of her books enabled Beatrix Potter to buy land in the Lake District. One of the first was Hill Top, which has since become a famous literary shrine.
This small Lakeland Farm House and the hamlet of Near Sawrey form the the setting for a number of her stories.
The Tale of Tom Kitten and The Tale of Samuel Whiskers are based in and around Hill Top.
Hill Top is open from 3 April to 31 October, daily except Thursday and Friday, from 10.30 with last admission at 4.00pm.
Beatrix Potter married a local solicitor, William Heelis, from Hawkshead, just a few miles down the road from Hill Top. William's former offices are now home to the National Trust's Beatrix Potter Gallery.
The Gallery contains may of Beatrix Potter's original sketches, watercolours and manuscripts. The Beatrix Potter Gallery is open from 3 April to 31 October, daily except Thursday and Friday, from 10.30 with last admission at 4.00pm.
Hawkshead is one of the Lake District's more attractive villages. Howkshead is the setting for another of Beatrix Potter's books, The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse.
It was in Hawkshead that another Lakeland literary figure, William Wordsworth, spent his school days.
A couple of miles from Hawkshead is Tarn Hows, part of the 4,000+ acres of property that Beatrix Potter bequeathed to the National Trust. Tarm Hows is definitely one of the Lake District's most famous beauty spots.
A walk around the tarn takes about an hour, the path is also suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
A shuttle service connects Hawkshead, Hill Top and Bowness-on-Windermere.
At Bowness on Windermere you will find The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, where the Lakeland tales are brought to life in an indoor recreation of the countryside.
You will see Peter Rabbit tucking into a carrot from Mister MacGregor's Garden and Jemima Puddleduck in a woodland glade. The Attraction is open all year except Christmas Day and from 12-31 January.
You can take a trip on a boat from Bowness on Windermere to Ambleside at the top of England's longest lake.
The boats pass Wray Castle where Beatrix stayed on her first family holiday in the Lakes.
The cruise is a relaxing way to enjoy the stunning Lake Ditsrict scenery.
Ambleside is also home to the Armitt Museum, which contains many of Beatrix Potter's watercolour studies of fungi and mosses. The Museum is open all year from 10.00 to 5.00pm.
A half hours drive north to Keswick and Derwent Water brings you to the location of several of Beatrix Potter's earlier books. The Potter family spent many summers in different homes close to the lake.
Produced using an Agnos MRotator Panoramic VR head, Canon Digital SLT Camera fitted with the Sigma 8mm Fish-Eye Lens, Kaidan QPXL-1 levelling unit & stitched with RealVIZ Stitcher Unlimited.
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Panoramic view photography completed: 30/10/06 18:27:42 File Size: 513.3 KB
Last Minute Hotels in The Lake District, Windermere with Late Room discounts
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