Hawkshead

Hawkshead
Ann Tyson's Cottage
Hawkshead  Hawkshead shown within Cumbria
Population	589 (2001)
OS grid reference	SD3598
Civil parish	Hawkshead
District	South Lakeland
Shire county	Cumbria
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	AMBLESIDE
Postcode district	LA22
Dialling code	015394
Police	Cumbria
Fire	Cumbria
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Westmorland and Lonsdale
Website	http://www.hawkshead-village.co.uk
List of places UK England Cumbria

Hawkshead (Hawk-shead) is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England. It is one of the main tourist honeypots in the South Lakeland area, and is dependent on the local tourist trade. The parish includes the hamlets of Hawkshead Hill, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to the north west, and Outgate, a similar distance north.

Geography

Hawkshead is situated just north of Esthwaite Water, in a valley to the west of Windermere and east of Coniston Water. It is part of Furness, making it a part of the ancient county of Lancashire.

It is one of the prettiest villages in the Lake District,^{[citation needed]} with many buildings dating from the 17th century. It has a lively community and a high pub to population ratio. ^{[citation needed]}

History

The township of Hawkshead was originally owned by the monks of Furness Abbey; nearby Colthouse derives its name from the stables owned by the Abbey. Hawkshead grew to be an important wool market in medieval times and later as a market town after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1532. It was granted its first market charter by King James I in 1608. In 1585 Hawkshead Grammar School was established by Archbishop Edwin Sandys of York after he successfully petitioned Queen Elizabeth I for a charter to establish a governing body.

Hawkshead Parish Church, built in 1300 and rebuilt in the 16th Century

St Michael and All Angels was founded in the 12th century, it is a fine example of an English rural parish church.

During the 18th and 19th centuries Hawkshead became a village (or town at the time) of important local stature. Poet William Wordsworth was educated in its grammar school, whilst Beatrix Potter lived nearby, marrying William Heelis, a local solicitor in the early 20th century.

Upon the formation of the Lake District National Park in 1951 tourism grew in importance, though traditional farming still goes on around the village. Hawkshead has a timeless atmosphere and consists of a characterful warren of alleys, overhanging gables and a series of medieval squares. It is eloquently described in William Wordsworth's poem, 'The Prelude'.

Much of the land in and around the village is now owned by the National Trust. The National Trust property is called Hawkshead and Claife.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hawkshead.

• Official Hawkshead website
• Hawkshead and Claife information at the National Trust
• Hawkshead in an Illustrated guide to the Lake District
• Hawkshead Grammar School Museum
• Photographs of Hawkshead
• The Benefice of Hawkshead with Low Wray and Sawrey and Rusland and Satterthwaite

v t e Ceremonial county of Cumbria Cumbria Portal Boroughs or districts City of Carlisle Borough of Allerdale Borough of Barrow-in-Furness Borough of Copeland District of Eden District of South Lakeland Major settlements Alston Ambleside Appleby-in-Westmorland Aspatria Barrow-in-Furness Bowness-on-Windermere Brampton Broughton-in-Furness Carlisle Cleator Moor Cockermouth Dalton-in-Furness Egremont Grange-over-Sands Harrington Kendal Keswick Kirkby Lonsdale Kirkby Stephen Longtown Maryport Millom Penrith Sedbergh Silloth Ulverston Whitehaven Wigton Windermere Workington See also: List of civil parishes in Cumbria Topics Parliamentary constituencies Places SSSIs Country Houses Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings History Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Museums