Sunday, July 28, 2019

Happy 153rd Anniversary of Beatrix Potter's Birth



Today is the 153rd anniversary of the most special birth of Beatrix Potter.  She means so much to me and to the world.  I thought I would post my thoughts about my very first visit to Hilltop Farm.




Today is a day I have dreamed about.  If I admit it, if I were only able to visit one place in England, it would be Hilltop. Visiting Hilltop, one of the homes of Beatrix Potter, has been dream of mine for a long time.  I've loved her charming books forever.  Her beautiful artwork is truly a gift from God.  Sometimes when a dream is about to be realized one can be afraid that the real thing will be disappointing.  Believe me--I was not disappointed!

Our apartment is only 27 miles from Hilltop!  This is the main reason we chose to stay in this location.... But it took us 1 1/2 hours to get there.  The M5 and A roads were just fine, but then we took a B road that was curvy, narrow and quite scary.







See the stone wall on the left--that's where I was sitting in our car, trying not to say too much to Grayden as he carefully drove us along curves and hills and more stone walls.  

Along the way carpets of bluebells made the drive beautiful and more enjoyable.  It was a drizzly, rainy, moody day.  Anticipation of what was to come made it all very mystical and magical.




After driving at very slow speeds we finally made it to Near Sawrey--the town where Beatrix Potter bought her beloved Hilltop!




Beatrix Potter bought  Hilltop in 1905 as a retreat away from London.  She purchased Hilltop with money from her first book-- The Tale of Peter Rabbit.  She loved the area around Hilltop and it's not hard to see why!  It served as inspiration for her books that followed. 

Upon arriving at the car park for Hilltop, rain was falling.  We were early (on purpose) to be able to get our tickets.  Hilltop is very popular and has a timed ticket schedule.  We were early enough to pick up our tickets for the first opening at 10:00am.  A few cars began to fill the car park.  Everyone wants to come to Hilltop!




It was time to make our way up to Hilltop.  We followed a hill up a narrow pathway made of large rocks that was lined with flowers.






We're almost there!  I can't believe it! 

There she is!!






The nice National Trust docent invited us in!  Oh my, yes I'll park my brolly at the door and yes you can wipe the rain off my jacket.  We don't want to harm anything in Beatrix Potter's home.

We made our way inside to a sitting room on the left.  It was cozy with a roaring fire to warm us.  There were low beams and the ceiling was covered in wallpaper.  I'm quite emotional at this point as I can't believe I'm standing where Beatrix Potter once stood.  Everywhere there is charm.  To the right is another room that is filled with lovely china that Beatrix collected.  She was from a wealthy family and attended many antique shows with her mother.  It was pointed out that she and her mother didn't have much in common but they both loved to go to antique sales together.

Toward the back of the sitting room was the scullery where Beatrix prepared meals.  To the left of the scullery were stairs we climbed to see four rooms.  One was a room of her collections with a lovely dollhouse.  Another sitting room with a piano and beautiful photos of her and her family. Her bedroom with her lovely tester bed and bed coverings and memorabilia all about.  She added an addition so she could have proper light for her art studio.  She never wanted electricity in her home.  This room was filled with her brother's artwork.  Bertram was an accomplished artist as well as their father.  There were very large paintings that lined the walls.  Sadly no photos are allowed inside, but you can go here to see her bedroom.

I can't begin to describe how I felt in her home!  Her love of nature was everywhere.  Beatrix Potter, I felt your spirit in your beloved Hilltop.  I'll never forget it!! 

As we left her home I turned around and gazed upon this special place. We wandered about the property.






Upon leaving the gate we spotted Castle Cottage, the home that Beatrix and William Heelis shared after their marriage. It's the white house on the right. 








When we planned this day before leaving home, I told Grayden I wanted to stay all day in Near Sawrey.  I did not want to short cut this visit.  So next to Hilltop was The Sawrey House Tearoom that we had to go visit.  We read on their menu that Beatrix Potter would often come and have afternoon tea here.




The vistas from this property were lovely!  These photos were taken from the inside the Sawrey House Tearoom.




After having a lovely soup for lunch it was time to take another look around Near Sawrey.  It's so charming and quaint in this area.  What a wonderful place to live!  I hope it never changes.  Beatrix Potter was a big proponent of the National Trust and gave over 4.000 acres of land, 16 farms and cottages, cattle and Herdwick sheep for future generations to enjoy.  Her gifts were the largest the National Trust had received and enabled them to create the Lake District National Park.  Thank you, Beatrix Potter!





Beatrix Potter, you have left a imprint on my heart that will always be with me.  Thank you for saving this beautiful place and more to be enjoyed by generations and generations to follow. 


from left to right--Beatrix Potter, Beatrix Potter with bunny, Beatrix and brother Bertram, Beatrix and William Heelis, Norman Warne(Beatrix Potter's editor and fiance')

30 comments:

  1. oh, how I hoped you would write and share today, I am not disappointed! Beatrix Potter is such an inspiration and role model, especially now more than ever. She is so much more to me than the authoress of Peter Rabbit. For me, my interest lies more in what she did other than the children's books, and especially what she did for the National Trust, for her generous donations of land and property went a very long way to helping the Trust establish as a redoubtable force, and no doubt built a very strong foundation for what the Trust has become. No wonder they named Central Offices Heelis in honour of her.

    Happy Birthday Anniversary, Dear Beatrix, and may your army of followers grow and increase in numbers.

    It was as much as I could do to stop myself from singing Happy Birthday to her in work today, and telling all our visitors about her instead of our corner of the National Trust here!

    ~~~Waving~~~From Across the Pond~~~Deb in Wales xoxo

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    1. Deb, I know we both share our love for the woman that Beatrix was. Like you said, more than the author of the Little Books! Her vision lives on today in the wonderful National Trust that I so admire and love. I didn't realize that they named the Central Offices Heelis in her honor! How fitting that they remember where it all began.
      I imagine it was hard to not sing Happy Birthday in her honor, my sweet friend. I love that you work for the National Trust. What better spokesperson could they have? No one that I know! xoxo ♥

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  2. Happy Birthday, Dear Beatrix! She would never have dreamed that so many would still be celebrating her birthday 153 years later! How wonderful that you have visited the places where she worked and played! And, almost as wonderful that you have shared them here with us to enjoy.

    I finally, after having endured almost a month of internet difficulties, have been able to look at all of your wonderful photographs of London. I especially love West Minister Abbey and her oh-so-beautiful gilded ceilings! Wow! Now, I am really looking forward to Norway!!

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    1. Chip Butter, I'm sure you are right. How could she know? What a legacy she gave to all of us to enjoy.
      I'm so sorry to hear of your internet difficulties. I'm sure you must have enjoyed your forced break though.

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  3. What a charming home of Beatrix Potter. I like the outside with all the vines around the house. I would have loved to seen the dollhouse in one of the rooms you mentioned. I have been thinking about getting a dollhouse for the grandbabies and decorating the rooms - I know they would love that. The property looks so green and well taken care of. The tea room sounds lovely too. You must have been thrilled to be visiting the home of Beatrix Potter, Martha Ellen.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Sheri, the Lake District is so lovely and lush as is most of Britain that we have visited. I think it would be nice to start a dollhouse for your granddaughters. That would be wonderful for them.

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  4. My love of Great Britain started with Beatrix Potter. I enjoyed your post and appreciate your observations and photos from your visit to Hilltop. I was in the Lake District in 2006 but the couples we traveled with didn't give in to my desire to visit Hilltop. UGH. Happy Birthday to Beatrix!

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    1. Oh Ellen, I do hope you return one day to visit Hill Top and feel the spirit of Beatrix Potter. I will never forget it. ♥

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  5. What a lovely way to commemorate her birthday!

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    1. Liz, I will forever be grateful to Beatrix Potter for the joy she has spread and continues to for posterity. ♥

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  6. What a wonderful tribute you wrote, it was a delight to revisit your visit. Such a legacy has been left by this wonderful woman. Happy Birthday to a much loved woman.

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    1. Thank you for revisiting Hill Top with me. You are so right, she is a much loved woman!♥

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  7. Loved reading this and seeing BP's house again on the occasion of her birthday. I kind of had this thrill visiting Jane Austen's house.

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    1. Thank you, Dotsie. Did you visit her home in Chawton or in Bath? I understand when we walk where beloved authors walked it touches our hearts. ♥

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  8. Fantastic post Martha Ellen :) It was lovely looking into Beatrix Potter's world through your super photos. When my son was still at high school, his English class went on a tour of all the places of the old authors, Beatrix Potter's home being one of them. I do hope I can go there myself one day. Those country roads are a bit intimidating aren't they? When I lived in a small village the roads were very narrow, so much so that if a car came in the other direction, you had to back up quite a long way up to the farmer's gate, so that the other car could slide on through. It never bothered me at all but when I went back a couple of years' ago, I found it a bit scary, especially knowing that the walls were often covered by bushes. Fortunately we never had a scrape thanks to hubby's careful driving but we both knew :)

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    1. Thank you, Denise for your kind words. It's wonderful that your son's school took such a fabulous trip! You are so right about the narrow roads and not being used to them. We had a lady in England tell us that when she came to America she was frightened of our large roads. I guess it is all in what we get used to! ♥

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  9. I loved the cream tea at Sawrey House, too! It fueled us for the hike we took afterwards down the lane behind the hotel. The rain certainly made everything look even greener and lush! We'd like visit the Lake District again one of these autumns.

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    1. On every visit we have taken to England we have had periods of rain, Cathy. It certainly makes it "a green and pleasant land." William Blake certainly knew of what he spoke. The Lake District is still my favorite place in Britain. I think it always will be.

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  10. It was delightful to revisit your trip to Hilltop, Castle Cottage, and Near Sawrey! What a wonderful legacy Miss Potter left!

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    1. It's nice to hear from you, Krishna. It was a lovely experience! ♥

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  12. Oh how I love your tour you shared with us.. I also love Beatrix Potter, loved the movie about her and of course her books and artwork. Her brilliance to save her beloved Lake District is quite literally astounding. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. It is astounding that a woman could do all that she did for that day and time, Teresa. I'll forever be grateful for the gift she gave to the world. ♥

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  13. I loved visiting here in 2016. It was also a dream come true for me. Your pictures are wonderful.

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    1. I'm so glad you too have had a dream come true. It's nice to meet another Beatrix Potter fan.

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  14. Living my dream. Oh, I have a sense of how you felt there because that sounds like the same set of emotional experiences I had visiting the Anne Frank house. And I suspect I would have it at Hilltop. She is so wonderful, isn't she? Her art, her science. I should post and article that MAYBE you posted on Twitter or not -- from brain pickings? I think I have your email -- I'll dig it out and send it to you, about her skill and knowledge of science and of course her fabulous art and whimsical way to tell a story. I love her and oh, I am so glad you shared this! I am over the moon!

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    1. Jeanie, I would love to visit Anne Frank's house. I'm sure I would be in tears! Yes, Beatrix Potter was so much more than an artist and writer. A true scientist of her day! Her study of fungi would have been more accepting if she were a man. Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner. ♥

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  15. "Happy 153rd Anniversary of Beatrix Potter's Birth"

    The Lake District is one of mine and Eddie's favourite places.
    We love it all around the Sawreys.
    Lovely post, thank-you.

    All the best Jan

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