Hill Top, Home of Beatrix Potter

- Backblip - Lake District Day 2.

I read all of Beatrix Potter's books to our boys when they were small, and it was a real treat today to visit her home at Hill Top and walk through Near Sawrey.

The house is full of her treasures, and for me the highlight was seeing the dolls' house. Many of the items in it feature in the drawings which illustrate her stories. The joint of ham from The Tale of Two Bad Mice, a tiny detailed piece of porcelain, caught my eye.

We walked through the little village and realised that several of the buildings appear as drawings in her work - Anvil Cottage, the Post Box, Tower Bank Arms, the Old Post Office and Tom Kitten's Gate.

From here we went on to visit the Gallery in Hawkeshead where about 50 of her original works are on display. They are all quite small, with exact instructions to the printer as to how each should be appear.

My favourite character on the window ledge has to be Mrs Tiggy-Winkle. A certain Blipper knows why. Happy memories - I can see someone rubbing her hands together right now.

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