Beatrix Potter

Today was a fantastic day for indoor activities as the sun had chosen to retreat behind a layer of thick cloud and cool winds. Uncle Ian, Aunty Pauline and I were up and out the door by 9am for the drive down to Windemere to visit Hill Top House, the home of Beatrix Potter and William Heelis. The drive down was stunning, filled with mountain ranges and lakes on either side before nipping in and out of forests where hikers were beginning their trails. I have never really felt car sick before but I came close on the drive down as the roads were windy and dipped down suddenly making me loose my stomach somewhere at the top of it. A few deep breathing exercises and I was able to survive but I was grateful when we finally arrive at the ticket office. Again, being a National Trust member paid off - woohoo on free entry!
They do timed entries into the house, I guess to stagger the tourists given the size of the house. We
were set to head into Hill Top house at 10.55am, so we walked over to the gardens first where Peter Rabbit would have stolen the vegetables in Mr McGregor's garden. There was even the spade that is used in the pictures that has the red robin sitting on top of it. Everything was as it was in the books. It is amazing the ideas that she drew out of such simple settings.

The whole area was very peaceful and the people running the house were full of knowledge and very genuine in helping to answer questions. It was a bit of a shame that you couldn't take photos inside the house. I managed to get a cheeky one on my phone but the information officers were in every room so I gave up. I even got one of Mr McGregor and me hanging out.

We headed over to the café for a cuppa to warm the blood and hands before jumping in the car and heading into Hawkeshead where the Beatrix Potter Gallery is.
The National Trust is currently celebrating 100 years since Beatrix Potter had gotten married to William Heelis (1913) and also her finishing the Tale of Piglingbland. The gallery was set in the building that Heelis had donated to the Trust on his death and had once been his accounting house. Inside was a range of original artworks of Potter and at the moment also had the marriage certificate. It was funny to look at it as there was a space for each of them to write their age (Heelis wrote 42 and 'Bachelor' - Potter wrote 'Full' for age - she was 47 but maybe they didn't have to write their age after a certain time, and beside that wrote 'Spinster'). What a horrible thing to have to write on your marriage certificate! When I think that if I had lived then I would be considered a spinster at 27, well over the hill and on the way out the door! There was also a section for their fathers' occupation of which apparently being a 'Gentleman' (Potters dad) was actually an occupation.
Inside the gallery was also a space to try on replica hats of what Beatrix Potter would have worn. Her hat was very heavy but I tried it on. Possibly not something I would get a way with today but I am sure would have been a roaring success back in the day!

We headed back to Cockermouth after that and to tell the truth I am knackered. I was very grateful that Aunty Pauline didn't mind swapping seats with me for the journey home. I am not sure I would have managed in the back seat again. I still feel a bit queasy thinking about all of those twists and turns!

I am heading back over the Consett tomorrow, but I am going via Hadrian's Wall which I passed on the way over. It is an English Heritage site so I will see if my National Trust membership will hold up to them. I hope it does. Fingers crossed!