~Beatrix Potter

.
Beatrix Potter werd geboren in Londen op
28 juli 1866. Ze stierf in Sawrey op 22 december1943.
Ze was een Engels schrijfster en illustratrice van
kinderboeken. Ze is wereldberoemd geworden
met haar verhaaltjes over Peter Rabbit en zijn
familie. Ze werd in 1866 in Londen geboren,
in een welgesteld gezin. Ze ging in haar jeugdjaren
niet naar school maar kreeg thuis in Londen les van
gouvernantes. Ze kwam dus niet veel in aanraking
met andere kinderen.
.

.
In haar jeugd kwam Beatrix Potter wel veel in
aanraking met dieren. Ook in de zomer, als haar
vader een landhuis huurde, eerst in Schotland
en later in het Lake District, kwam Beatrix
veel in aanraking met dieren en met de natuur.
Haar carrière als schrijfster en tekenares van
kinderverhalen begon in 1902. Haar eerste
verhaal was Het verhaal van Pieter Konijn.
Dit verhaal werd uitgegeven door Frederick Warne.
In 1905 vroeg Beatrix' redacteur, Norman Warne,
haar ten huwelijk. Hij werd echter ziek en stierf
slechts een paar weken later.
.

(Foto Uit de film)
.
Datzelfde jaar kocht Beatrix een boerderij in Sawrey
in het Lake District met de naam Hill Top.
Daar bracht ze zoveel mogelijk tijd door, hoewel ze
nog bij haar ouders woonde. De boerderij en het
landelijke gebied eromheen begonnen in haar verhalen
een rol te spelen en vele illustraties laten plekken
aan Lake District zien die tot op de dag van vandaag
onveranderd zijn gebleven.
In 1913 trouwde zij met William Heelis, een
plaatselijke advocaat, en ging permanent in Sawrey
wonen. Nu kregen schrijven en schilderen een
tweede plaats naast het boerenbedrijf en de
schapenfokkerij. Met een erfenis van haar ouders
en uit de royalty's van haar boeken kon ze stukken
land aankopen om deze als beschermd natuurgebied
te kunnen behouden. Toen ze in 1943 stierf, liet ze
de staat meer dan 1600 hectare natuur en
viertien landerijen na aan de National Trust.

Officiële Website
.
.
Het levensverhaal van Beatrix Potter werd
verfilmd door Chris Noonan. De hoofdrollen werden
vertolkt door Renée Zellweger en de Schotse
acteur Ewan McGregor. De film 'Miss Potter'
kwam begin 2007 in de bioscoop.
.

Yew Tree Farm, Coniston, becomes Hilltop for the film.
.
Beatrix Potter was born on 28 July 1866 in
South Kensington, London. She lived a lonely
life at home, being educated by a governess and
having little contact with other people.
She had many animals which she kept as pets,
studying them and making drawings.
.
Her parents took her on three month summer
holidays to Scotland, but when the house they
rented became unavailable, they rented Wray Castle
near Ambleside in the Lake District.
Beatrix was 16 when they first stayed here.
Her parents entertained many eminent guests,
including Hardwicke Rawnsley vicar of Wray Church,
who in 1895 was to become one of the founders
of the National Trust.
.
His views on the need to preserve the natural beauty
of Lakeland had a lasting effect on the young Beatrix,
who had fallen in love with the unspoilt beauty
surrounding the holiday home.
.

Filming 'Miss Potter' at Fawe park landing stage,
Derwentwater.
.

For the next 21 years on and off, the Potters holidayed
in the Lake District, staying once at Wray Castle,
once at Fawe Park, twice at Holehird and nine times
at Lingholm, by Derwentwater, famous now
for its rhododendron gardens. Beatrix loved
Derwentwater, and explored Catbells behind Lingholm.
She watched squirrels in the woods, saw rabbits in
the vegetable gardens of the big house.
She made many sketches of the landscape.
They still kept in touch with Rev Rawnsley, who after
5 years at Wray, moved to Crosthwaite Church
just outside Keswick.
.
Rawnsley encouraged her drawings, and when
back in London Beatrix made greetings cards
of her pictures, and started a book.
Rawnsley encouraged her to publish, and
eventually Frederick Warne published
'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' in 1902.
Her third book, 'Squirrel Nutkin' had background
views based on Derwentwater, Catbells and
the Newlands valley. Fawe Park featured
in 'The Tale of Benjamin Bunny'.
.
'Teatime at Hill Top' by Stephen Darbishire.
.

In 1903 Beatrix bought a field in Near Sawrey,
near where they had holidayed that year.
She now had an income from her books, Peter Rabbit
having now sold some 50000 copies.
In 1905 she bought Hill Top, a little farm in Sawrey,
and for the next 8 years she busied herself writing
more books, and visiting her farm. In 1909 she bought
another farm opposite Hill Top, Castle Farm,
which became her main Lakeland base.
Seven of her books are based in or around Hill Top.
Tom Kitten and Samuel Whiskers lived there.
Hill Top is still as it was then, and is now the
most visited literary shrine in the Lake District.
.
Beatrix Potter married William Heelis, a solicitor
in Hawkshead, in 1913. Then started the next stage
in her life, being a Lakeland farmer, which lasted f
or 30 years. The office of William Heelis is now
the National Trust's 'Beatrix Potter Gallery'.
.
.

In 1923 she bought Troutbeck Park Farm, and became
an expert in breeding Herdwick sheep,
winning many prizes at country shows with them.
Beatrix continued to buy property, and in 1930
bought the Monk Coniston Estate - 4000 acres
from Little Langdale to Coniston – which
contained Tarn Hows, now Lakeland's most
popular piece of landscape.
.
in 1934 she gave many of her watercolours
and drawings
of fungi, mosses and fossils to the Armitt Library
in Ambleside.
.

.
When she died on 22 December 1943, Beatrix Potter
left fourteen farms and 4000 acres of land to the
National Trust, together with her flocks of
Herdwick sheep. The Trust now owns 91 hill farms,
many of which have a mainly Herdwick landlord's
flock with a total holding of about 25000 sheep.
This was her gift to the nation, her own beloved
countryside for all to enjoy. Beatrix was the first
woman to be elected president-designate of the
Herdwick Sheepbreeders' Association,
which continues to flourish.
.

Many books have been written about Beatrix Potter,
but the following are some that will be of interest
to those interested in the Lake District:
.

Hunter Davies has written the book
'Beatrix Potter's Lakeland', with photographs
by Cressida Pemberton-Piggott.
It takes a look at the relationship between the
beautiful Lakeland countryside, and the
very private woman who was inspired by it,
painted it,
farmed it and helped preserve
it for future generations.
.

National Trust Publications have published
'Beatrix Potter at Home in the Lake District'
by Susan Denyer. With numerous extracts from
her letters and diaries, this illustrated book celebrates
Potter's achievements in the Lake District
and her major gifts to the National Trust.
.

The Tale of Beatrix Potter: a Biography
by Margaret Lane. When Beatrix Potter died
in 1943, few knew the full story of her life.
Originally published only three years after
Beatrix Potter's death, this book tells her story.
It was extensively revised in 1985 to include
new material that had come to light.

It is a full biography of Beatrix's life from her
childhood in London to her years
in the Lake District.
.
Please Take a look at the website
to know more of her life and her books.
.