Nr Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria.
The wonderfully talented Beatrix Potter.
I’ll be honest, Peter Rabbit wasn’t top of the reading material that I read on a nightly basis to my children as they were growing up, and now I’m wondering why. Having visited the farmhouse that stimulated her talent – full of her favourite personal things and preserved exactly as she left it along with the beautiful cottage garden and its mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables, I feel my offspring actually missed out.
Beatrix’s love of the Lake District inspired her charming stories, strength and determination to conserve the natural beauty of her surroundings. She lived life on her terms, and was a strong and determined woman, whimsical and passionate, never realising her own self-worth. Her amazing business acumen led to great success in selling her merchandise.
The converted 17th century farmhouse still remains a working farm. Beatrix died in 1943, aged 77, leaving 14 farms and over 4000 acres of land to the National Trust, with a stipulation that her beloved Herdwick sheep continue to graze on her farms.
Whilst aimlessly walking around this time capsule, it’s easy to visualise how she brought her characters to life, to imagine Mrs Tiggy Winkle, Tom Kitten or Jemima Puddle-Duck. Watching visiting children discover the felt mice secretly hidden around various places. Or ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over the beautiful dolls’ house that inspired the Tale of Two Bad Mice, with its 73 miniature objects inside. One could almost imagine her being there, envisaging her creativity and innovation that inspired her to create her delightful illustrations. Her talent blows my mind.
Visitors beware, the car park is small and always busy, but a short walk from the reception takes you to the house. Visit the refreshment van selling great coffee and vegan/gluten free pasties and cakes sitting in a delightful picnic area, nearby a toilet block and of course the obligatory gift shop.
It made me sad to think that my own two-legged darlings missed out on knowing and loving these wonderful characters. I would have been honoured to have met her. Hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit which left us feeling as though we had stepped through a time warp to a bygone era.
Our journey to Hill Top House began from Penrith, taking the Stagecoach 508 bus to Bowness on Windemere, passing through stunning locations, including Pooley Bridge, Aira Force, Glenridding, Patterdale and the invigorating Kirkstone Pass. This being the Lake Districts highest pass with a gradient of 1 in 4 in places, absolutely outstanding scenery. The bus struggled and puffed, gears screaming, whilst passing hillsides with cascading waters. Spot the sheep hidden amongst the rocks. Definitely well worth the trip. Â
Bowness was alive with tourists from all walks of life, with many eateries and ice cream parlours to suit all tastes. We took the small ferry across to Ash Landing, just under £7 each return. There are many ferry trips, all coinciding with other great activities such as steam train, aquarium or the popular market town of Ambleside, not forgetting Ms Potter’s Hill Top House.
Once at Ash Landing, a 1-1/2 half mile walk takes you up to Hill Top House, or alternatively you can hop on the Mountain Goat bus (pick up at the car park across the road) get off at Hill Top House, or continue onto Hawkeshead, which is where we carried on for lunch. An attractively quaint village with hotel, eateries, meandering stream and church with many surrounding walking trails to enjoy.
All in all a fantastic day out – with more delightful trips to look forward to in the future.