TALKING ABOUT
A place for Beatrix to potter about in and Dusty’s former home
THIS four-bedroom stone cottage in the Lake District will forever be part of the extraordinary story of Beatrix Potter and her passion for the countryside around Lake Windermere.
In 1930 the Peter Rabbit author bought the two-storey property in the village of Holme Ground, and the rest of the Monk Coniston Estate for £15,000 following nail biting negotiations with its owner.
Potter, who lived in a 17th century farmhouse called Hill Top nine miles away in Near Sawrey, was extremely passionate about preserving the traditional farming culture of the area, and wanted to prevent holiday home developers from moving in.
She spent a sizeable chunk of her Jemima Puddleduck and Squirrel Nutkin fortune buying Monk Coniston Estate, and persuaded The National Trust to secretly stump up half the cash through a later public subscription.
Potter’s valiant attempts to preserve large tracts of the Lake District were largely unrecognised until 2006 when a Hollywood film, Miss Potter, starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, retold the story.
The property for sale in Holme Ground is three miles outside Coniston and comes with a lounge, kitchen/diner, large garden, several outbuildings and amazing views over the local countryside.
It’s for sale with Purplebricks (0800 810 8008) at £395,000.