The real Peter Rabbit and friends

A perfect sunny May day, in the Lake District.
We visited Beatrix Potters beloved countryside.

Top left
Hill Top Farm the fist house Beatrix bought in 1905.
She still lived in London but used to come up here for weekends and holidays, to escape from London.
This is where she wrote her books, getting inspiration from the garden, part of which you can see in the picture.
Later she used to entertain friends here, and used it as her office.
It is not like a museum at all, but has the feeling that at any moment she might just walk back in through the door, and sit down at her desk.

The photo below is Castle Cottage which she bought in 1909 and is where she lived with her husband, William Heelis, whom she married in 1913 at the age of 47.
She extended the cottage, and the upstairs bay window on the right was her favourite room , and was where she died on 22nd December 1943.
Both these houses are in the lovely little village of Sawrey.

Top right is Yew Tree Farm. One of 14 farms which she owned, and left to the National Trust, along with over 4000 acres.
This was the "stand-in" for the real-life Hill Top, in the film.
An idyllic spot!
Part of it can be rented for holidays. (I would love to stay here for a few days) see here

Under this is a panoramic shot taken from Wray Castle, which is where Beatrix stayed with her parents on her first visit to the Lake District, when she was a girl.
They rented it for their holidays!

And then there are the three bunnies!
These were playing in the orchard at Hill Top!
I call them the real Peter Rabbit and friends!!

After this wonderful afternoon we enjoyed an evening meal at the Watermill pub , in the tiny village of Ings, which is where our B&B was.
They brew their own beer, and MrC enjoyed two pints of A Bit-er Ruff!!
To eat he had steak, and I had a "Collie Wobbles" ale, and beef pie.
Don't you just love the names of their beers!!