Friday 18 June 2010

Beatrix Potter country

We trained from London to Oxenholme station- picked up by a small local tour company and driven around noteworthy Potter sites.  Wow!  All those stone fences.

 Then to Beatrix Potter's Hilltop house- which she later used as a workroom when she married- everything was as she left it- this was specified in her will- unfortunately we couldn't take photos- but buying a souvenir book always helps.

This was her garden in the lead up to the house- groups of 20 allowed in in five minute intervals- to preserve the house and it is small- not much room.
The entrance!
Hill Top national Trust
a couple of photos of her Hill Top treasures

I loved her doll's house- objects in this featured in some of her books.
Then onto Coniston Water and Tarn Hows- where we saw some of her famous breed of lakesland sheep Herdwick
Then  a cruise on the Coniston Water- with a siting of the gondolier steam boat and views of the water edge.

  Arthur Ransom's 'Swallows and Amazons' gained its inspiration from this spot.

Last a sighting of the homestead used in the Miss Potter film:

4 comments:

Janeen said...

stone walls! what is it about them? Perhaps it is the pattern, the sense of the connection to the ground and the layers beneath, or the old craft of creating beautiful structures with material found locally. I found them compelling objects that moved me. Isn't the countryside so Beatrix Potterish?

love
Janeen
www.janeenbrian.com

nattyj said...

Loving the countryside photos!
Don't think I've seen the movie.

Life's a poem said...

You must see the movie Nat! Janeen you'd love the countryside!!!

Sophie Neville said...

I've been writing about the making of the film 'Swallows and Amazons'.

A typical post is:
http://sophieneville.net/2012/08/02/hes-not-waving-hes-very-angry/

I went to look for the old locations last summer. These posts might interest you:
http://sophieneville.net/2012/06/11/in-search-of-arthur-ransomes-locations/

They will be showing the movie at Bank Ground Farm next summer! See if you can go.