Hill Top, Home of Beatrix Potter
I think almost everyone grows up with some awareness of Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter, even if it’s through the newest version of an animated cartoon and not the classic children’s books. My first introduction to the books that I remember were the little pocket-sized editions given out as some sort of promotional gift by B.P. gas stations when I was a child. It seems a little bit random, but they were such nice little gifts! My family collected quite a few of those copies.
Beatrix Potter learned to love the Lake District after spending a summer at Wray Castle as a child and bought Hill Top as an adult in 1905. It’s a beautiful 17th-century farmhouse kept in the exact condition she left it. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting twice, once with children and once without, and I highly recommend taking children in your life or at least asking for the children’s guide. My kids were given a copy of The Tale of Samuel Whiskers* when we went together and sent on a scavenger hunt throughout the house looking for the places in Potter’s own home included in the book’s illustrations. They were also given a map that showed different places around the village that make appearances in her books. I found that so delightful and made exploring the house so much more fun.
Both times I visited taking pictures inside the farmhouse was not allowed, but you can enjoy a ramble through the surrounding gardens and photograph all you like. I spotted Mr. McGregor’s wheelbarrow, and on my first visit even saw a rabbit, which felt especially serendipitous! I love the 2006 film, Miss Potter for a little added color about her personal life and background, and I also laughed my way through the newest Peter Rabbit film; I enjoyed the way it modernized and put a fresh spin on the stories while staying true to the original. The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends is also a really sweet watch with children. If you haven’t read the books since childhood, I highly recommend picking them up again! They’re quite fresh and funny, and if you love the English countryside and animal-life, the illustrations are such a pleasure.
As always, you can find more pictures around Hill Top and the Lake District in the Cumbria section of the Picture Gallery.
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