Hill Top and Wray Castle

It's a wet day today (not uncommon in the Lake District), so no big walks! We visit two sites with association to Beatrix Potter, a famous English writer and illustrator best known for her children's books (eg, The Tales of Peter Rabbit).

The first is Hill Top in a village called Near Sawrey; this is a 17th century house, which Beatrix Potter moved into in 1896, aged 30. It is now managed by the National Trust and open as a writer's house museum as she would have known it - an interesting visit.

Afterwards, we headed to Wray Castle, near Lower Wray, on the edge of Lake Windermere; Beatrix Potter stayed here on a family holiday to the Lake District when she was a teenager. Wray Castle began to be built in 1840 in the neo-Gothic style by James Dawson as a Lakeland Villa but intended to look older. It was acquired by the National Trust in 1929. Only the ground floor is open at present, and we visit The exhibition there; "Everests - One Mountain, Many Worlds," which tells the story of the almost forgotten Sherpas. We then follow the map guided walks around the grounds, seeing the lakeside and St Margaret's Church.

Another interesting visit and a good day out.Read more