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 Low 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.

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'.

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 for 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 to enjoy.

'Beatrix Potter's Derwentwater' by Wynne Bartlett and Joyce Whalley describes the area around Derwentwater where Beatrix stayed for her holidays, and which inspired her to base several of her books in this area. It also describes walks to be taken to see these places.

'Beatrix Potter - Her Life in the Lake District' by W R Mitchell tells about Beatrix's life as a landowner, conservationist and sheep farmer. The text is based on interviews with people who knew her - interviews spread over a period of 40 years during which time the author was editor of the magazine 'Cumbria'.

The National Trust have published a little book by Elizabeth Battrick - 'The Real World of Beatrix Potter', which also uses interviews with people who knew her. It outlines the support given by Beatrix Potter to the National Trust and the influence she had on the Trust's present farming policy.

You can find out more about Beatrix Potters life as a farmer in the National Trust booklet 'Beatrix Potter and her Farms' by Susan Denyer.

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.

Beatrix Potter's great-nephew John Heelis has written 'The Tale of Mrs William Heelis - Beatrix Potter' which covers the relationship with her husband of thirty years, William Heelis. With anecdotes and reminiscences from family and friends, this enhances the picture of Beatrix Potter's life .

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.

Beatrix Potter(Famous People, Famous Lives) by Harriet Castor, is a biography of Beatrix Potter which focuses on the main events in her life, illustrated with line drawings by Martin Remphry. Ideal for National Curriculum Key Stage 1.

Beatrix Potter 1866 to 1943 by Judy Taylor. A companion to the Tate Gallery Exhibition, this is a definitive work on the art of Beatrix Potter. Her life, work, the influences of contemporary artists, and later work as a conservationist are demonstrated with over 450 reproductions of her work.

Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller and Countrywoman by Judy Taylor. A pictorial biography taking the reader through Beatrix Potter's life from her birth in 1866, looking at her years in Bolton Gardens (with summer months in Scotland and the Lake District), her paintings and drawings, her books, her friendship with the Warnes, her farming and her marriage.

'A Victorian Naturalist: Beatrix Potter's Drawings from the Armitt Collection'. Shortly after her marriage in 1913 Beatrix Potter became a member of the Armitt Library in Ambleside, Cumbria. This subscription library had been founded a year earlier by three sisters "to create a collection of books of scientific, literary and antiquarian value" that was intended eventually to become a small museum.

Beatrix Potter strongly approved of the aims and ideals of the Armitt sisters, particularly their concern for the study of natural history and their active interest in safeguarding the Lake District countryside. She became a benefactor. Donating many valuable books and, most importantly, a large number of her own watercolour drawings. These pictures date from the years before she became a children's book author, while she was at the height of her artistic powers and concentrating on scientific illustration. They include studies of fossils, archaeological finds, mosses, lichens and many microscopic drawings. This book contains a number of her illustrations.

'Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature ' by Linda Lear. (Published Jan 2007) Beatrix Potter, the twentieth century's most beloved children's writer and illustrator, created books that will forever conjure nature for millions. Yet though she is a household name around the world, her personal life and her other significant achievements remain largely unknown. This remarkable new biography is a voyage of discovery into the story of an extraordinary woman. See also www.bpotter.com.

Books by Beatrix Potter

The Beatrix Potter - the Complete Tales This volume includes all 23 Peter Rabbit stories, along with two Beatrix Potter stories which were not published in her own lifetime, "The Sly Old Cat" and "The Fox and the Stork", and two picture sequences, "Three Little Mice Sat Down to Spin" and "The Rabbits' Christmas Party".

Some of the Peter Rabbit Stories

Related Links :

• National Trust: Beatrix Potter
• Wikipedia: Beatrix Potter
• Open Directory: Beatrix Potter
• BBC: Beatrix Potter
• Victoria and Albert Museum: Beatrix Potter