Near Sawrey, Lake District
Hill Top Farm
Beatrix Potter's Home
The 17th-century farmhouse that Beatrix Potter bought in 1905 and loved for the rest of her life. Now preserved by the National Trust, and accessible on our guided Lake District tours.
About Hill Top
The House She Built Her Life Around
Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top Farm in 1905 with the royalties from The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She didn't move in immediately — instead she used it as a creative retreat, staying for weeks at a time while continuing to manage her affairs from London.
The farmhouse appears in six of her tales, including The Tale of Tom Kitten, The Pie and the Patty-Pan, and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. Every room, staircase, and garden corner was drawn with the care of someone who knew she was painting for posterity.
When she died in 1943, Potter left Hill Top and over 4,000 acres of Lake District farmland to the National Trust, along with the instruction that it be maintained as a working farm — a landscape she had protected with her own fortune.
Book a Tour to Hill Top
Planning Your Visit
Everything to Know Before You Go
How do I get to Hill Top from Windermere?
Hill Top is at Near Sawrey, about four miles from Windermere across Windermere lake via the Bowness car ferry. By road it's longer. Our tours handle all transport — you travel with your guide from central Windermere in a comfortable minibus.
Is Hill Top suitable for children?
Absolutely. The house and garden are exactly as Potter depicted them in the tales, which makes visits particularly meaningful for younger children who know the books. The gardens are also stroller-accessible.
Is National Trust admission included in the tour price?
National Trust admission to Hill Top is purchased separately on arrival. National Trust members enter free. Our tour price covers transport, guiding, and the full day's programme.
What other locations do the tours include?
Our Beatrix Potter tours also visit Hawkshead village, the shores of Esthwaite Water, and the wider Near Sawrey countryside. See all tour details.
Visit Hill Top with a Guide Who Knows Every Corner
Departs Windermere. Small groups. Expert guides. Book your place today.
Check Availability & Book