Beatrix Potter

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Beatrix Potter was born on the 28th July 1866 in South Kensington in London. She lived a lonely life as she was educated at home by a governess, had few friends and little contact with the outside world.

She had many animals as pets and spend hours studying them and producing drawings. Every year her parents would take Beatrix on summer holidays to Scotland. But one year, when she was 16, they stayed at Wray Castle in the Lake District. Her parents entertained many high profile guests, including the local vicar, Hardwicke Rawnsley, who went onto become one of the founders of the National Trust.

On and off for the next 21 years the Potters holidayed in various parts of the Lake District, including Derwentwater. Beatrix made many sketches of the landscape whilst keeping in touch with the Rev Rawnsley who was by then working in Keswick.

He encouraged her drawings and when she went back to London she started a book called "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" which was published in 1902. Her subsequent books "Squirrel Nutkin" and "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" included illustrations of Derwentwater and Fawe Park in the Lake District.

By 1905 Beatrix had a good income from her books. "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" had already sold 50,000 copies and she bought Hill Top, a small farm in Sawrey where she spent the next eight years writing more books. In 1909 she bought another farm opposite Hill Top called Castle Farm which became her main base in Cumbria.

Beatrix got married in 1913 to William Heelis who was a solicitor in Hawkshead and she eventually became an expert in breeding Herdwick sheep. She won many prizes at country shows for her sheep. She continued to buy property in the Lake District including the 4000 acre Monk Coniston Estate which is home to the famous Tarn Hows.

Beatrix died on the 22nd December 1943. She left fourteen farms and 4000 acres of land to the National Trust. Hill Top was also gifted to the National Trust with one condition .... that it was kept exactly as she left it with her furniture and china. Hill Top is now the most visited literary shrine in the Lake District.

Visit Hill Top – Beatrix Potter’s Lakeland Base

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Hill Top

Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top from the realities from her first few books.

Beatrix wrote many of her famous children's stories in the little 17th century stone farmhouse. Characters such as Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck were all created here, and the books contain many pictures based on the house and garden.

When she died in 1943, she left Hill Top to the National Trust with the proviso that it be kept exactly as she left it, complete with her furniture and china.

The property is now a museum, owned and run by the National Trust and is one of the most visited houses in the Lake District, with queues forming on most days during the summer. She also lived down the road at Castle Cottage but that is not open to the public.

How To Get There

Hill Top is situated in the attractive village of Near Sawrey which is two miles from Hawkshead down the eastern side of Esthwaite Water, overlooked by the woods and tarns of Claife Heights. There are two seperate hamlets - Near Sawrey and Far Sawrey, both a cluster of picturesque cottages, teas rooms and pubs.

It is best to get there as early as you can.

Doors open at 10.30am and you buy a ticket with a time to visit as they can only allow so many people into the house at any one time.