The Literary History of Hawkshead, Cumbria
Hawkshead is a pretty ‘chocolate box’ village in the southern Lake District, near Esthwaite Water (one of the smaller and quieter lakes, known for its wild ospreys). It has strong literary connections, being where Grasmere poet William Wordsworth attended school.
Hawkshead Grammar School is now a museum, as when numbers dwindled to just six students, it had to close. Wordsworth was vocal that his favourite teacher was William Taylor who taught poetry, but sadly he died age just 32, from TB.
One previous headmaster caused controversy after he had ‘got with a child’ with the local servant girl, and was brought before magistrates. He was still allowed to teach, to the dismay of local residents.
This village is also where children’s writer Beatrix Potter met her husband. They soon moved to Near Sawrey, a tiny hamlet a few miles away where she wrote her famous books.
Today, it’s a National Trust property (home to one of four plant-based eateries – Joey’s Café (founded by a climber who decided to switch professions, after recovering from a serious accident).
Beatrix Potter (despite the cute bunny image) gave over the property, on the condition that fox-hunting would always be allowed. Of course, the law has thankfully changed since then, so fox-hunting is now illegal nationwide. As a talented botanist, her field notes and sketches are still studied today.
