Stampers
The Old Stamp House
Church Street
Ambleside
Cumbria
LA22 0BU

Telephone: 015394 32775

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This area is rich in natural beauty that has been appreciated by artists and poets since words were invented. Here at Stampers we feel a certain affinity with that most famous of stamp sellers (and poets!) William Wordsworth. Whether you're a lover of William Wordsworth poems or not, a visit to Rydal Mount, his former home, is worth it for the exquisite panoramic views of Lake Windermere, Rydal Water and the surrounding fells. You can see why Wordsworth chose this spot and where his inspiration came from. He lived here from 1813-1850 and it is close enough for a visit when you are dining here at Stampers.

But it isn’t just Wordsworth who found his muse and his peace in this area, Beatrix Potter too was inspired here. In 1896 Beatrix Potter first saw and fell in love with the 17th century farmhouse, Hill Top, at Near Sawrey, just a few miles away. She purchased it in 1905, using the proceeds from her book. Later she described it 'as nearly perfect a little place as I have ever lived in'. She did most of her writing here (of her 13 books, six are set at Hill Top), but continued to live with her parents in London, visiting the farmhouse only when she could escape from their control.

The house with its roughcast walls and slate roof contains her original furniture, china, pictures, and workroom. Its nooks and crannies and the cottage garden feature in many of her stories and drawings. Many of the cottages and shops of Near Sawrey were put to use as settings for her stories: the village store was the Ginger and Pickles shop while a former house and shop in the village, the Bend and Bump, starred in The Pie and the Patty Pan. Potter spent many happy hours roaming the fells and pathways around her Hill Top home. She often rowed on Moss Eccles tarn, and her rowboat is on display at the Windermere Steamboat Museum.