Come with me to Beatrix Potter’s World(+ MOVING DAY winner announced)

I’m diverting from the usual ‘recommending a picture book’ topic and thought I’d share a bit of travel inspiration with you today. I know many of our PBB readers are also authors and illustrators, so I hope this post gives you some motivation to keep going, keep trying, keep creating, just like Beatrix Potter did.

I am away on a long stay in the English countryside. My grandmother was a Beatrix Potter superfan and, (lucky for me) collected picture books of hers and other like-minded artists. Between my Mommom, and my mother’s love for literacy, books, and art, it was always a dream of mine to visit Beatrix Potter’s home in the Lake District. Not just to see where she lived, wrote, and painted, but to experience the gorgeous landscapes that stole her heart and inspired her characters and creations.

We stayed at a few of the places where Beatrix stayed on holidays with her family and homes that she owned. The Eees Wyke House used to be called Lakeside in Beatrix’s day. Looking at old pictures, the porch, and the grounds look almost identical to when the Potter’s stayed there. Because Beatrix bought so much of the land and the farms in the Lake District, much of it remains just as it was when she was there. So, you truly feel as though you’re walking in her footsteps.

Hill Top was Beatrix’s home that she bought to live in as an adult. It’s where she was inspired to write most of her books. That said, there are several other properties in the area that boast specific illustration locales.

Hilltop holds Beatrix’s treasures, her collections, and possessions. It was mesmerizing to see the pottery and artwork she purchased and the way she mixed patterns and colors together. 

The gardens were just beginning to bloom. Although I would have loved to see the roses and the herbs in full array, being there when we were let us see through trees and shrubbery and appreciate even more of the vistas and landscapes (it also wasn’t crowded).

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck has The Tower Bank Arms featured in one of the illustrations. It is the local pub right next to Hill Top. And looks just like when Beatrice painted it.

Travelling around Windemere one might notice Wray Castle at the top of a hill. This is another place that Beatrix’s family rented for holiday. 

Also in Windemere, we stayed at the Lindeth Howe Hotel which Beatrix once owned. This is where she illustrated two of her books, Pigling Bland, and Timmy Tiptoes. The hotel and gardens still look similar to when Beatrix was there. Except for the fantastic rug addition!

My Becoming Beatrix Tour ended with a visit to the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. They now house Beatrix’s exquisite fungi paintings.

There are always some in a rotating display, but the museum was generous enough to grant me access to some of her original paintings.

Seeing Beatrix’s use of color and her watercolor technique up close was priceless. She used very little black, lots of blue and magenta, and I only saw a few examples where she added white. The color of the paper was a beautiful, not at all white, but also not the creamy color that I would expect. Seeing her technique inspired and motivated me to lean more into watercolor and less into ink line for my forthcoming book. Thank you, Armitt Museum for your time and thoughtfulness!

So, there you go. A bit of my trip that I hope inspires you. Beatrix was not only an incredible artist and storyteller, but she was also a savvy businesswoman and a naturalist. Being a creative often stems from the need to express and share beliefs that are near and dear to our hearts. Thanks to her, we not only have Peter Rabbit and friends to uplift our lives, but we have the Herdwick Sheep, and the breathtaking Lake District.

🎉📗🏠The winner of my last post’s giveaway of a signed copy of MOVING DAY is Lynn Becker! Congratulations, Lynn, please message me at [email protected] and send me your address. Cheers!