Graythwaite Hall

Graythwaite Hall, near Hawkshead, Cumbria in the Lake District of England is the home of the Sandys family. The gardens within the grounds are open to the public from early April until mid August, but the Hall is not.

One of the more famous members of the family was Edwin Sandys, who was Archbishop of York (1576–88) and was founder of Hawkshead Grammar School which William Wordsworth attended. The hall dates from the 17th century and extension work was carried out in the 18th century. In 1840 some major refacing gave the hall the appearance of a Victorian Gothic-style Manor House.

The grounds consist of 7 acres (28,000 m²) of gardens laid out by the landscape architect Thomas Hayton Mawson in 1886 and set in a wooded valley. The Dutch Garden and the Rose Garden at Graythwaite are typical of the period. An arboretum contains some fine trees. The gardens are best viewed in late spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom. The ornamental iron gates at the entrance to the formal gardens were designed by Dan Gibson, a local architect, who also designed the house at the National Park Visitor Centre at Brockhole near Windermere.

The woods surrounding the estate were a favourite walking spot for William Wordsworth, and were the backdrop for Beatrix Potter's story 'The Fairy Caravan' .