Throughout Beatrix Potter's childhood she would travel in Britain on holiday with her parents. And it was whilst staying at nearby Ees Wyke, she asked one of the staff to let her know if any property came up for sale in or around Sawrey. Like a fairy tale, she was told about the small farm, Hill Top, soon to be sold, which had tenant a farmer who could be given notice, the Cannons. Her intention was to live there, but as a single woman in post Victorian 1905, this would have been against moral codes of the time. And her parents would not allow it, as they had resisted her engagement to her publisher, Norman Warne. The idea behind the film 'Miss Potter (2006). The sale, for £2,805, was deftly dealt with by local solicitors, Heelis and co. Her future husband.
Beatrix was 39 when she 'invested' in this property. The money came from the profits from her 'little books'.
As John Cannon reckoned up the value of each farm item and each animal, she realised she could not evict them. The Cannons were part of Hill Top. She built an extension for the Cannons and employed them to run the farm for her. Beatrix Potter never lived full time at Hill Top. Dividing her time between living with her parents at Bolton Gardens, London, and touring on holiday with her parents and at other times visiting family and friends. At every opportunity she escaped to Sawrey, staying locally at Belle Green, Stoney Lane, with the blacksmith and his wife, until Hill Top was ready. It wasn't until Beatrix Potter bought Castle Farm Cottage, and married William Heelis, that she eventually realised her ambition of living full time at Sawrey. It could be said she wore the trousers in the relationship, as the major bread winner, through her 'little books'.
The interior of Hill Top is best described and illustrated in her book, The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (1908). The exterior appears in many of her books, along with the village of Sawrey.
Beatrix Potter wrote about the wildlife and domestic pets that occupied Hill Top. The rats are in Samuel Whiskers along with her cats. Hill Top is shown in the frontispiece of the Pie and the Patty-pan.
Parking at dedicated car park NW of Hill Top, poorly signed. Parking for free when Hill Top is shut, along with roadside parking possible between 1st November to first Friday of March.
Co-ords are paid entrance to Hill Top and shop, through which you access Hill Top, which is behind the Tower Bank Arms. For a view of Hill Top walk down the gated farm track to left (east) of Hill Top shop.
Hill Top is where the authoress stayed and used as setting for many of her 'little books', illustrating and using the wild and domestic inhabitants as characters and stories.
Tom Kitten hides in the chimney of Hill Top.
Pigling Bland sets off from Hill Top's porch.
Ribby collects milk and butter from Hill Top for Pie and Patty-pan.
Mrs Tabitha Twitchit and her kittens were one of many farm cats at Hill Top.
The Tale of Tom Kitten starts in the garden and spills out onto the village street.
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck is a really an intimate description of Hill Top as a working farm.
Jemima lays eggs under the garden rhubarb, to have them removed for a hen to sit on, as farm ducks are notoriously bad at sitting on eggs.
Her finest work is The Roly-Poly Pudding, set in Hill Top, using the sinister rats as adversaries to the playful kittens.
Tom's mother Tabitha searches all over Hill Top, mewing to find him, illustrating and describing many parts of Hill Top.
Tabitha is shown on the staircase, easily recognisable to visitors.
Hill Top's kitchen appears in the tale of Mr Tod when Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny peer through the window of fox's earth, looking for the baby Flopsy bunnies.
National Trust (
visit link) Check Opening times of Hill Top. March to October.
Large white house with small orchard to right of picture is Castle Cottage where Beatrix lived full time in married life. Private residence. N 54 21.146 W 02 58.140
Text of her books online (
visit link)