The writer Harriet Martineau moved to the Ambleside in 1846. She resided at The Knoll, a house of her own design, until 1876.

William Wordsworth helped Martineau with the landscaping of her garden. He also planted two pine trees, which remain standing today.

Stone pines planted by William Wordsworth at The Knoll, home of Harriet Martineau, Ambleside, Cumbria [24 April 1983]