House & Family History: Hill Top is famous as the farmhouse retreat of Beatrix Potter, who purchased the farm in 1905 using the proceeds from her first children's books (she ultimately wrote 23 children's tales). The house, the farm, and some of the nearby villages feature in her books, including "The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan" (1905), "The Tale of Tom Kitten" (1907), "The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck" (1908), and "The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding" (1908). In 1903 Peter Rabbit became the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy, which makes him the oldest licensed character in the world. At her death in 1943 Potter left Hill Top to the National Trust. Miss Potter's stories are very popular in Japan, which is why Hill Top is a major destination for Japanese visitors to Britain. Further proof of Potter's enduring Japanese popularity was evidenced in April of 2006 when the Beatrix Potter Reference Library was opened at Saitama Prefecture Children’s Zoo near Tokyo.

House Listed: Grade II*

Park Listed: Not Listed

Past Seat / Home of: Helen Beatrix Potter, 1905-43.

Current Ownership Type: The National Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Visitor Attraction

House Open to Public: Yes

Phone: 01539-436-269

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Historic Houses Member: No