Hill Top

Hill Top is a 17th-century Lakeland farm once in the possession of children's author Beatrix Potter. She bought the farm house as a retreat from London in 1896 at a time when she was making a significant amount of money from her stories. She used the farm as a place to develop her stories. Many of these stories (such as Jemima Puddleduck and Tom Kitten) were set on the farm. Farm furniture, the ponds, and other elements were used as props in her books. Potter married William Heelis when she was 47. She moved across the road to Castle Cottage. She kept Hill Top though to house her collections of china, the "Two Bad Mice" doll house furniture, and other things. She continued to use the house as a retreat. She willed the houses and a large acreage to the National Trust in 1944. Hill Top is located near Sawrey in Cumbria. It is between Esthwaite Water and Windermere, 2 miles south-east of Hawkshead. References Robin Fedden and Rosemary Joekes. 1973. The National Trust Guide to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Norton. 3rd edition. pages 138-139.