Near Sawrey
Encyclopedia
Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey are two neighbouring villages in the Furness
area of Cumbria
. They are located in the Lake District
between the town of Hawkshead
and the lake of Windermere
. The two lie on the B5285, which runs from Hawkshead to the Windermere Ferry
, a car ferry
across Windermere one mile to the east of the villages.
The two are famous for their association with Beatrix Potter
. She lived at Hill Top Farm
in Near Sawrey, first arriving at age 30 in 1896. A number of sites in the villages were used in her books such as The Tale of Tom Kitten
, The Fairy Caravan
and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
.
The villages date from at least the 14th century, when Near Sawrey was known as 'Sourer', becoming 'Narr Sawrey' by the 17th century (suggesting that Far Sawrey must have been in existence by this time). Near Sawrey contains a pub, while Far Sawrey has the parish church, a hotel, pub and village shop. The village shop ceased to function as a post office about 2003.
There are waymarked paths between the ferry and Beatrix Potter's house which largely avoid walking on the public roads.
Furness
Furness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
area of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. They are located in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
between the town of Hawkshead
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in the Cumbria, England. It is one of the main tourist honeypots in the South Lakeland area, and is dependent on the local tourist trade...
and the lake of Windermere
Windermere (lake)
Windermere is the largest natural lake in England. It is a ribbon lake formed in a glacial trough after the retreat of ice at the start of the current interglacial. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere...
. The two lie on the B5285, which runs from Hawkshead to the Windermere Ferry
Windermere Ferry
The Windermere Ferry is a vehicular cable ferry which crosses Windermere, a lake in the English county of Cumbria. The route forms part of the B5285 road and crosses the lake at about its mid-point, from Ferry Nab in Bowness-on-Windermere to Far Sawrey, a distance of some...
, a car ferry
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
across Windermere one mile to the east of the villages.
The two are famous for their association with Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian...
. She lived at Hill Top Farm
Hill Top, Cumbria
Hill Top is a 17th-century house in Near Sawrey near Hawkshead, in the English county of Cumbria. It is an example of Lakeland vernacular architecture with random stone walls and slate roof...
in Near Sawrey, first arriving at age 30 in 1896. A number of sites in the villages were used in her books such as The Tale of Tom Kitten
The Tale of Tom Kitten
The Tale of Tom Kitten is a children's book, written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. It was released by Frederick Warne & Co. in September 1907. The tale is about manners and how children react to them. Tabitha Twitchit, a cat, invites friends for tea...
, The Fairy Caravan
The Fairy Caravan
The Fairy Caravan is a book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. It was first published in 1929. The story follows the adventures of Tuppenny, a young guinea pig who runs away from home to join a travelling circus....
and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. It was first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in July 1908. Potter composed the book at Hill Top, a working farm in the Lake District she bought in 1905...
.
The villages date from at least the 14th century, when Near Sawrey was known as 'Sourer', becoming 'Narr Sawrey' by the 17th century (suggesting that Far Sawrey must have been in existence by this time). Near Sawrey contains a pub, while Far Sawrey has the parish church, a hotel, pub and village shop. The village shop ceased to function as a post office about 2003.
There are waymarked paths between the ferry and Beatrix Potter's house which largely avoid walking on the public roads.