Hill Top
A seventeenth-century Cumbrian farmhouse that became home to writer, artist and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866-1943).
Similar studio museums
- Carl Larsson Gården, Sweden - the colourful home of the watercolourist and illustrator Carl Larsson (1852-1919) and his family.
- Rudolph Tegner Museum and Sculpture Park, Denmark - a studio established by Rudolph Tegner (1863-1950) in 16 acres of Danish landscape
Feature List
- Historic garden
- Gift shop
Born into a privileged household, today Beatrix Potter is best known for the children's books she wrote and illustrated, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903). However, as a young woman she also studied and painted flora and fauna, and became well respected in the field of mycology. Potter bought Hill Top Farm in 1905, partly with the proceeds from Peter Rabbit. Over the next few decades, she continued with her writing and painting, but also worked to conserve the local landscape by buying and managing other adjacent farms.
Never her primary home, Hill Top rather became Beatrix Potter's studio, and both the house and garden appear in many of her tales. She left it, at her death, to the National Trust, along with over 4000 acres of land, which forms part of the Lake District National Park. Today, Hill Top is displayed much as she left it, full of references to the illustrations to her tales. Indeed, many of the rooms are recognisable if you are familiar with Tom Kitten or Samuel Whiskers.