Hawkshead

In the Vale of Esthwaite, this small market town, with a pleasing hodgepodge of tiny squares, cobbled lanes, and whitewashed houses (and a pedestrianized center), is perhaps the Lake District's most picturesque village. There's a good deal more history here than in most local villages, however. The Hawkshead Courthouse, just outside town, was built by the monks of Furness Abbey in the 15th century. Hawkshead later derived much wealth from the wool trade, which flourished here in the 17th and 18th centuries.