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House museum · Windermere, Inglaterra
Hill Top
The 17th‑century farmhouse in Near Sawrey where Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated several Peter Rabbit books, with the furniture, belongings and the garden that appear in the stories. Owned by the National Trust.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Hill Top
Hill Top is the small farmhouse Beatrix Potter bought in 1905 in the village of Near Sawrey, west of Lake Windermere, with the money from the first Peter Rabbit books. There she wrote and illustrated several of the stories, using the house, garden and village as settings. When she died in 1943 she left Hill Top and more than 1,600 hectares of farms to the National Trust, which helped protect the Lake District landscape.
The house is kept as she left it, with furniture, crockery, pictures and objects that appear in the book illustrations: the chest of drawers, the staircase clock, the fireplace. The guide points out every detail and shows the corresponding illustrations. The cottage garden, with flowers, vegetables and the wooden gate, and the kitchen garden recall the adventures of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck.
Visits are at timed entry because the house is small, and tickets often sell out in summer. Nearby, in the village of Hawkshead, the Beatrix Potter Gallery, also run by the National Trust, displays her original drawings and watercolours in a building that used to be her husband's office.
Hill Top usually opens from spring to autumn and closes in winter; check the National Trust website.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 45 minutes to 1 hour for the house and garden.
Best time
In the open season, from spring to autumn, with timed-entry tickets bought in advance. Mornings are quieter. The house closes in winter.
How to get there
It's in Near Sawrey, about 3 km from the ferry pier on the west shore of Windermere. From Bowness, cross by ferry and continue by local bus (in season), by taxi or on foot for about 3 km. By car, parking is limited.
Tip
Book your time slot in advance and combine it with the Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead, about 3 km away. Bring a copy of Peter Rabbit to compare the illustrations with the house.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Hill Top
Who was Beatrix Potter?
The English writer and illustrator of Peter Rabbit, who lived in the Lake District and left her farms to the National Trust.
Do you need to book Hill Top?
Yes, visits are by timed entry and tickets often sell out in summer.
Is Hill Top open year-round?
It usually opens from spring to autumn and closes in winter. Check the National Trust website.
How do you get there without a car?
By ferry from Bowness to the west shore and then a local bus (in season), a taxi, or about a 3 km walk.