It’s early morning in the English Lake District. The sky is a bright robin-egg blue, the air is crisp and clear and the natural beauty of the countryside unfolds in a million shades of green. There is a gentle breeze blowing and bird song rings in the air. This pristine scene takes one back in time and is simply awe-inspiring. Rejuvenated and exhilarated by the brisk temperatures and the lush landscape, visitors are charged with anticipation. The day holds much promise for travelers who have come from several continents to revel in the beauty of this marvelous place and to pay homage to a woman who truly made a difference in her lifetime - her legacy continuing to the present day.

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Today is the long-awaited pilgrimage to Hill Top, an extraordinary 17th century house and working farm nestled among the trees, lakes and hills of northern England. It is the celebrated home of much-loved children’s author, artist and conservationist, Beatrix Potter. Although born at a time when a woman’s place was considered to be in her parents’ or her husband’s home, Potter envisioned owning a home of her own. In 1905, this dream became a reality when she purchased Hill Top with the royalties from her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and a small inheritance from her aunt.  ​It was the first of many farms she would acquire in the Lake District.​    

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Hill Top is revered as the artist and writer’s spiritual home - a place where she enjoyed independence, felt close to nature, expressed joy and found creative inspiration for her work. The home and grounds are a time capsule providing guests with the opportunity to experience what life was like for her in the early 1900s.

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​Upon approaching the property, one is at first taken with the beautiful English gardens, lovingly planned and once tended by the owner. Walkways to the house are lined with a variety of colorful flowers, blooming prolifically during the summer season. To the left of the walkways are fruit orchards and a breath-taking view of the rolling hills of the farm and extended countryside. In front of the house is a kitchen garden planted with the same varieties of vegetables that can be seen in the illustrations of Potter’s "little books,’ as she referred to them.  One recognizes the garden gate and the stone wall where the three kittens played and soiled their clothing before visitors arrived for tea in The Tale of Tom Kitten.

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In the middle of the house is a heavy wooden door with the door knocker selected by Potter still in place. When entering the house, visitors must allow their eyes a few minutes to adjust to the low-level lighting. Potter chose not to convert her home to electricity, preferring the more romantic lighting of oil lamps and candles. The subtle present-day lighting gives visitors an opportunity to appreciate the rich atmosphere of the home as it was when Potter carefully decorated it with her most cherished possessions.  As with her art, the attention to detail in this home is impeccable, even showcasing a straw hat and a pair of wooden clogs (like those she wore when taking walks on the farm).

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The entry room features beautiful dark raised-wood paneling, a large fireplace and an antique dining table and chairs welcoming guests as if for an afternoon tea. Also featured are ornately carved antique oak cabinets that Potter purchased at farm sales. These beautiful antiques showcase some of her treasures that were carefully displayed by her and intended to remain well beyond her lifetime. Among the items are china with a family crest featuring the word “Perseverance,” her favorite Peter Rabbit tea set, a variety of family heirloom collections, art created by her brother Bertram and needlework created by Potter. Wandering from room to room, there are many familiar vignettes that one easily recognizes from the illustrations in her books.  Each room is rich with history and promotes a desire to linger and soak up the simple beauty of this lovely home.

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Here in these beautiful surroundings Beatrix Potter’s 150th birthday celebration is in full swing. Devotees from around the world are honoring the accomplishments of this amazing woman and the role she played in preserving this area for future generations. Numerous events took place in 2016, including a theater production inspired by her children’s books, readings of her work, tea parties for children and adults and a special edition of the well-researched biography, Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear.

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One of the most exciting celebrations which took place July 5-9, 2016 was the biannual Beatrix Potter Society Conference held at the Burnside Hotel in Windermere, England. The four-day conference welcomed society members from many countries and featured morning presentations pertaining to Potter’s life and work, along with afternoon excursions to many of the places she loved best, including a walk at Troutbeck Farm, tours of Yew Tree Farm House in Coniston, and Glencoyne Farm on Ullswater, and a visit to Hill Top Farm located in the tiny town of Near Sawrey. Hill Top and the surrounding areas of the Lake District served as the inspiration for many of the stories and scenes in many of Potter’s children’s books.

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Potter’s personal story as conveyed in Linda Lear’s best-selling biography and other related publications is quite interesting.  She was born into an affluent family and could well have chosen to be a lady of leisure. Her grandparents on both sides of the family hailed from northern England and ran successful businesses in the textile industry. This gave her parents the option of choosing a genteel lifestyle in London rather than having to work. Her father, Rupert Potter, was a barrister who enjoyed a variety of outdoor sports and her mother, Helen Potter, took pride in entertaining friends and family and participating in social activities involving their Unitarian Church. But Potter’s heart was in the country. She stated in an interview in 1936, “My brother and I were born in London . . . but our descent, our interest and our joy were in the North Country.” This inherent interest was fostered when, as children, Potter and her brother took long summer vacations with their family in Scotland and the Lake District of England. The children entertained themselves in the fresh air and enjoyed bringing along their menagerie of pets including Benjamin Bunny, who became the inspiration for the charming character of Peter Rabbit.

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Potter's “little books,” were inspired by her love of nature, animals and the joy of being in the English countryside. They provided her with a substantial income. Her financial success was quite an accomplishment, especially for her time, considering that The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published by the Frederick Warne Company of London, England in 1902, years before women won the same voting rights as men in Great Britain. This was a time when a proper Victorian woman’s place was considered to be in the home. Potter was raised in a typical Victorian manner, educated at home by governesses and having little association with the outside world. She enjoyed the companionship of family members, but had no close friends her own age. This isolation, combined with tales of fairies told by her Scottish governess, served to fuel her imagination. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first created as a picture letter written to her governess’ five-year-old son, Noel Moore, when he was ill. When interest in children’s books became prevalent, Potter had the idea of turning her picture letter into a children’s book. She decided to self-publish her story after initially receiving no interest from outside publishers. The first and second runs of the book sold out and it piqued the interest of the Frederick Warne Publishing Company, who agreed to publish it provided Potter was willing to create color illustrations. She did so and the color version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit was released and has been a best seller for over 100 years. Potter went on to create an impressive volume of work, writing and illustrating 24 children’s books and envisioning and managing the merchandising of her characters. As her success continued to grow, she bought country cottages and farms in the English Lake District, with the intent of playing a predominate role in conservation of the land and the farm culture, including protecting the habitat of the hardy Herdwick sheep.

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In 1913 Potter married William Heelis, a country solicitor and a kind and interesting man. Heelis was supportive of her intent to protect the local land from excessive development. After her marriage, her primary interests turned to being a wife and a country sheep farmer. Mr. & Mrs. Heelis lived a quiet and simple life at Castle Cottage in the English Lake District until their death, at which time more than 4,000 acres were bequeathed to the National Trust for the purpose of conservation.

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In addition to her books, as a young woman Potter was a student of natural history, studying the growth patterns of fungi and carefully documenting her observations. She created numerous works of botanical art including a large display of fungi drawings and watercolor paintings, which are housed at the Armitt Museum in Ambleside, Cumbria.

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Potter’s legacy extends well beyond her literary and artistic contributions. She was an avid country farmer who purchased surrounding farms with the intent to protect the land from encroaching development. Her vision and generosity played a major role in saving the environment and the farming culture of the community. The National Trust continues to tend the land and care for the countryside so that future generations may enjoy it.

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Text & Images by Donna S. Priesmeyer

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For more information about Beatrix Potter please refer to these sources:

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The Beatrix Potter Society 

The National Trust

Beatrix Potter’s Lake District

Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, by Linda Lear

Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, by Marta McDowell

Beatrix Potter Exhibit Armitt Museum