Beatrix Potter country

cuckoobrow

England is full of places with names as delicious as the meals they serve. Cuckoo Brow Inn, at Far Sawrey, Ambleside, is one of them. Run by a young local couple and within walking distance of Beatrix Potter's farm at Hill Top, Near Sawrey, they assure guests that 'muddy boots, wet dogs and children are welcome'.

And here's a delightful story that will grab the attention of any Beatrix Potter lovers. A postcard of the Sawrey Hotel, written in July 1930 and describing a holiday-maker's meeting with Beatrix Potter, provides a very real and fascinating insight into the life of the famous authoress.

potterpostcard

The card, from 'Lila' of Carlisle to a Mrs W A Rohrer in Detroit says: "This card comes from the town where Beatrix Potter the author of Peter Rabbit lives. Her real name is Mrs Heelis, her husband is a lawyer. She is a little old, round shouldered, rosy-cheeked woman, more like a farm woman than an authoress. She has quite a farm and owns lots of sheep which run wild on the fells en masse. She was kind enough to let us see her in her home, which was not at all tidy. She looked as though she had been working outdoors".

cuckoobrow1

Sally and Dan Schreiber, the new owners of the Sawrey Hotel which is now the Cuckoo Brow Inn at Far Sawrey, were delighted to be contacted by the Beatrix Potter Society who wanted to know if the hotel still existed and if it was in Far Sawrey.

"And of course it's still here although renamed" said Sally Schreiber. "I love the way the writer says that Beatrix Potter's home was untidy! Brilliant, no matter how famous you are it is still important to have a tidy house. It's provided a fascinating and genuine insight into a famous inhabitant. Her house is just up the road from the hotel."

Another piece of trivia: the postcard of the Sawrey Hotel was bought on Ebay recently by a member of the Beatrix Potter Society who lives in Tasmania.

potterpostcard1

PS The inn serves up a wonderful Herdwick Hotpot!

(Do you know what a Herdwick Hotpot is?)

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