Hawkshead

Hawkshead is a village in the famous Lake District National Park, in Cumbria, England. The village is one of the main tourist "honeypots" of the South Lakeland region, and has grown very affluent under the influence of the local tourist trade. It is situated to the north of Esthwaite Water, in a valley between Windermere, to its east, and Coniston Water, to its west. It is said to be one of the prettiest villages in the national park, featuring many early 17th century buildings and a vibrant local community served by a good number of highly regarded pub-restaurants. 

The village was originally owned by the monks of Furness Abbey, but after the Dissolution it became predominantly a market town serving the wool industry. The Romantic movement brought significance to the village as the place where poet William Wordsworth was educated. It features in his poem 'The Prelude'. Even with the opening of the National Park in 1951, and the development of the busy tourist activity of the area, Hawkshead remains very traditional, and retains its sheep farms and medieval squares. 

Local attractions include the Beatrix Potter Gallery, the Quaker meeting houses, Go Ape! at Grizedale Forest, and the 16th century Hawkshead Grammar School.