Monday, May 30, 2011

Miss Potter's Hill Top home...................



This is the breathtaking countryside around Beatrix Potter's Lake District home, Hill Top farm. Above is the view from Hill Top's garden, across the lane to the lush farmland dotted with sheep and their many lambs. Spring time - a perfect season to visit.


A very pretty cottage down the lane from Hill Top.

Over the years Beatrix purchased thousands of acres of land with money received from sales of her delightful children's books.  Yes, Peter Rabbit and friends are responsible for this land being given to The National Trust to ensure its pristine, undeveloped beauty for posterity.


Cumbria's green and lush Lake District has to be some of the most beautiful countryside on this planet.......and beyond the rolling farmland and famous lakes are the high fells in the background, hiking destinations for those who love the great outdoors.




If you are ever here, don't miss a visit to Hill Top......left just as if Beatrix Potter had stepped out to set up her easel and paint the sweet creatures in her garden.  Interior photography is not permitted but the garden is open to visit and photograph.  Wandering up through the bordered path...........


.............the slate roofed cottage with the familiar covered entrance door soon comes into view.


The flowers were beautiful, especially the white wisteria climbing the walls..............


.......and one almost expects Miss Potter herself to be seated on the bench.


Note the umbrellas at the door - fortunately not required the morning we visited - sunny and warm, perfect in fact.


Everything blooming and very lush - note the striped window shades, and behind them, peeking out were two new blogging friends whom I met a couple of days earlier. More about them later.


The famous gate into Mr. McGregor's vegetable garden..................


......where I was ready to enter with Babs and Paula in search of that naughty rabbit........


............and there he was, Peter Rabbit himself, honestly, nibbling away just as expected!


This photo above by friend Rob - mine were blurry due to excitement and a shaking camera!


Childhood friends to so many of us - thank you Miss Potter.

25 comments:

  1. That encounter would have been my daughter dream....she too grown up with Peter Rabbit!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. these photos are gorgeous. Can't wait to visit myself. We have just finalized plans and will be visiting in Oct. Guess I'll see what it's like in Autumn.I definitely want to see the lake district. Janet

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Mary, what a delightful place. How I'd love to visit someday. Thank you for sharing the photos. Hope you are having a wonderful day. ~ Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  4. isn't it wonderful Mary that we are able to share this memory of this very special Hilltop visit? i was a very naughty and took some indoor photos, though i was not sure am i able to take them or not.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely photos - glad you were entranced by the Lake District. So near and yet so far - I am only an hour's drive away.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ohh lovely photos! Miss Potters house is somewhere I wish to visit!! It looks beautiful! I can imagine this must be where she got some inspiration for her books!! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a truly delightful post! Thank you for taking me along on your visit to Hilltop Farm, which I carelessly missed when I was in the area two years ago. A very good reason to visit again, I'd say.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely, lovely post Mary. Cumbria is probably my favourite county - SO beautiful! I've never visited Hill Top, by maybe I can 'persuade' my OH to pay a visit :o)

    Best wishes
    Rose H

    ReplyDelete
  9. These pictures are so wonderful! I've never seen the garden in spring there, only in the fall when its a mass of rose hips and asters, still beautiful yes, but its a thrill to see that wisteria, and the columbines. all those pinks and whites are lovely against the stone.
    I'm so glad you had such fine weather.
    Best,
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh gosh, How I loved this!
    One of my favourite places on the planet.
    And the rabbit!!!
    How lucky were you???

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you so much for this tour! She was my first favorite Author!! I love the house and grounds how great Peter was there to greet you!!
    Hugs, Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  12. We chose a lovely day to visit, everything looks so green and lush and so pretty. Seeing Peter rabbit was a special moment, it made the stories seem even more real. The flower garden and vegetable plot were so nice. Glad you have lovely memories of the day, and your photographs are wonderful. Millyx

    ReplyDelete
  13. How absoluelty beautiful! I would love to go there someday. How fun to see Peter Rabbit!!
    xo
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a lovely visit you had! The photos are just stunning Mary! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It's stunningly beautiful countryside around Hill Top isn't it? Did you go into Hawkshead and visit the Gallery where her original paintings are exhibited?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh My! Thank you so very much for sharing your amazing visit to Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter and friends. I am enchanted. Safe travels...

    ReplyDelete
  17. So, so beautiful! I loved it there. We bought the Lilliput Lane house as a keepsake after touring the factory. Have you ever been to the factory? It was so interesting. Thanks for the lovely post. Pamela

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great post, England at it's best!! No wonder she wrote such marvellous books with that wonderful scenery. Thank you for sharing your "holiday snaps". Jackie in Surrey, UK.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Absolutely, positively heavenly. I think I am in love with this place.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a beautiful place and a lovely visit. How nice to see Peter Rabbit! I would love to visit there someday.

    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am a huge fan of Beatrix Potter and i saw the movie about her. I knew all about her leaving the land and it is wonderful to see photos of it!! HOw lovely is her cottage too!
    You must have had a wonderful time Mary!
    Pamela xo

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lovely, Mary! Thanks so much for taking me on such a wonderful tour of Ms. Potter's garden. I felt as if I had been there myself. Carla

    ReplyDelete
  23. Such a beautiful area, so lush and green. I would love to have gone on such a tour! The rabbit in the garden was the icing on the cake!
    Take Care,
    Ulrike

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is definitely on my list of places I still want to visit. Lucky you, how fun to even see Peter in the garden.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you so much for these beautiful photos. I´m sure that is a incredible place =)
    Some day I hope go there! kiss from Brazil

    ReplyDelete

I would enjoy reading your comment - thanks so much for stopping by.