Hill Top

This is the 17th-century farmhouse Beatrix Potter bought with her Peter Rabbit royalties in 1905, and the National Trust keeps it exactly as she left it, down to her boots by the door. Children who know the books get the strange thrill of standing inside the illustrations: the garden really is where Tom Kitten played, and the rhubarb patch where Jemima Puddle-Duck laid her egg is still growing rhubarb.

Be honest with yourself before booking. The house is tiny, the rooms are dim, everything is precious and nothing can be touched, so a toddler will mostly be carried and shushed. The whole visit, house and garden, is about an hour. Open mid February to the end of October, closed over winter, and every visitor needs a pre-booked timed ticket, members included.

It works best folded into a bigger day: the Windermere car ferry across to Near Sawrey is an event in itself, and Hawkshead village with Potter's old solicitor's office is ten minutes up the road.

Worth knowing: Best for children who already know the Peter Rabbit books.

Seasonal: Feb-Oct. Check before travelling.

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