Travel Lake District
Get inspired by the new Peter Rabbit movie and hop along to the UK’S most picturesque area
Rose Byrne, James Corden, Margot Robbie and Sia are some of the big names in the new Peter Rabbit movie, but the stunning Lake District could be its biggest star.
It’s more than 100 years since Beatrix Potter moved to this postcard-perfect part of England, where she could be surrounded by her real and imaginary animal friends. And it’s easy to feel as if nothing has changed when you walk along cobblestone streets in charming villages and look out over rolling green fields lined with ancient stone fences.
Last year the Lake District became the first national park in the UK to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s thanks to Beatrix that so much of this beautiful land was saved.
Best known as a children’s book author and illustrator, Beatrix was also an ambitious woman with a head for business and a love of the land. She bought Hill Top farm in the village of Near Sawrey in 1905, and went on to buy another 13 farms in the area.
She was so passionate about preserving the land, she left around 1620 hectares to the National Trust when she died. Today, Hill Top looks just as it did when Beatrix lived there. You can see some of her original artworks, as well as little nods to her characters, in the rooms. And keep an eye out for any cheeky bunny paw prints as you walk around her cottage garden!
While Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-duck are her most famous creations, if you look in the Lake District’s lush green fields you’ll also spot some special sheep.
Beatrix loved Herdwick sheep so much, she insisted they continue to be bred on all the farms she left to the National Trust. Considering they’re not the best sheep for wool or meat, many believe she saved them from extinction – 99 per cent of the world’s Herdwicks are now found in these fields.