High Yewdale is a 17th century cottage in Coniston, UK. It is west of Lake Windermere and part of the Lake District National Park .We were heading to a cottage for an immersive experience. Beatrix Potter bought a farm and several other properties in the Lake District area in an effort to preserve the unique hill country landscape. High Yewdale was one of her properties.

I haven’t heard Beatrix Potter’s name mentioned in a long time. I haven’t given a thought about Peter Rabbit in a long time. Reacquainting with a book’s character and its author was quite a pleasant surprise.

A warm greeting was awaiting us at the High Yewdale. The current occupant leasing the cottage from the National Trust was our host. We were a big tour group. The three big rooms were fully occupied. The host talked about the history of the cottage as well as its previous owner. There were servings of scones with a glass (or two) of local white wine. Afterwards, we had the chance to roam around the house while inspecting closely its unique features.

This was our immersion to a local community. Our fourth experience. We did the same thing during our tours in Greece, Italy, and Spain. Immersing in the local community ambiance was a unique experience. It was better than just being a “tourist” in the city.