Hawkshead Grammar School Museum

We’re pleased to announce our next Talk at the School, exploring the fascinating story of Coniston Coppermines with local Mark Hatton.

Learn about the discovery of copper at Coniston, and the lives of the men, women and children who worked in the mines over the centuries.

Tickets also include a chance to visit our current exhibition and historic library. Light refreshments will be provided.

29th June 🗓️

7:30pm ⏰

Tickets available now 👉 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-talk-at-the-school-coniston-coppermines-tickets-1988235211038?aff=oddtdtcreator

📣 Updated opening hours! We are open every day during the school holidays 11-4.

Pop in and explore the history of the school or simply take a break from the hot weather! ☀️

Happy International Museum Day! 🎉

What better way to celebrate than by visiting your local museum, gallery or heritage site? Small independent museums need your support now more than ever to help preserve historic collections and buildings for future generations!

Can’t make it to a museum in person? You can find hundreds of museums including Hawkshead Grammar School on the Bloomberg Connects App! Simply download and enjoy learning all about the history of the school with a cup of tea in hand. ☕️

📣 We are looking for volunteers!

Do you have an interest in libraries and historic books? Or perhaps you attended our talk from Caroline Bendix last week and left feeling inspired?

We need help to catalogue our library collection and are looking for patient, detail orientated people to join our team. We are especially looking for people with availability on a Friday morning.

If you think this could be you, please get in touch at [email protected].

Earlier this week we were delighted to welcome experienced library conservator Caroline Bendix back to Hawkshead!

Our volunteers and staff had a great time learning how to repair damaged books. 📖

Caroline also delivered our first talk of the year, giving a fascinating insight into the care of book collections. 📚

Stay tuned for more upcoming events throughout the year! 🗓️

If you’ve been watching the BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister recently, you will have seen some of Wordsworth’s poems featured, including ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge,’ which he composed in 1802.

We personally like to think that Mary Bennet would’ve loved to visit the school that inspired much of Wordsworth’s writing!

On this day in 1767 William Pearson was born on a small farm in Whitbeck, Cumbria. 🗓️

At the age of 18 he started attending Hawkshead Grammar School alongside William Wordsworth, who described him as “uncouth.” 🎓

Despite his humble beginnings, Pearson went on to found the Royal Astronomical Society in 1820. He also invented the orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system. ✨

You can learn more about Wordsworth’s school friends in our current exhibition, ‘Friends before Fame,’ on until October 2026.

📸 Cary’s Celestial Globe, 1800.