Hawkshead is one of the prettiest villages in the Lake District — a tight cluster of whitewashed cottages, narrow flagged lanes, and medieval yards that have changed surprisingly little in 300 years. It sits in a shallow valley between Esthwaite Water and Coniston Water, and on a quiet morning before the coaches arrive it is genuinely lovely.
The village has two famous literary associations. William Wordsworth attended the grammar school here from 1779 to 1787, and the school building is now a small museum. Beatrix Potter lived nearby at Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey, and her original drawings and manuscripts are displayed at the Beatrix Potter Gallery in the village centre. Both draw large numbers of visitors in summer.
As a base for the Lake District, Hawkshead works well if you have a car. You are within easy reach of Coniston, Grasmere, and the western fells. Public transport is limited to an infrequent bus service, so without a car your options are restricted to the village itself and the ferry across Windermere from Bowness.