Iconic characters of British literature such as Jemima Puddle-Duck and Samuel Whiskers were spawned from the mind of Beatrix Potter and inspired by the beauty of the British countryside.
The famous hay meadows of the Lake District were decimated and on the brink of destruction when they were ploughed for farmland during the two world wars.
Now, they have been restored to their former glory thanks to a 25-year long project by the National Trust and are a haven for native wildlife once more.
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Iconic characters of British literature such as Jemima Puddle-Duck and Samuel Whiskers (pictured) were spawned from the mind of Beatrix Potter and inspired by the beauty of the British countryside
This harvest mouse in fluffy wheat and many other animals served to inspire Beatrix Potter when she was writing her books and provided her with characters for her books
Hay meadows are thought to have been one of Beatrix Potter’s favourite beauty spots when she lived at Hill Top Farm for almost 40 years.
The conservation charity has revealed that three meadows (covering a total of 11 acres) are once again providing a haven for wildlife, including many of the animals that inspired Beatrix Potter’s writing.
Significant damage to the wildlife and ecology was done when they were hastily turned into farming fields to meet soaring demands for food during wartime Britain and the era of rations.
Many populations and pollinators were depleted left the meadows.
Decades of careful management has seen it flourish once more, National Trust claims.
Rangers surveying the meadows found the grass and flower-packed fields were offering a valuable source of food and shelter for mice, field voles and barn and tawny owls, personified by Potter in stories such as The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse.
The survey also showed that plants including eyebright and great burnet, which were classified as ‘rare’ when the fields were first assessed in the 1990s, are now in abundance.
Flowering plants such as black knapweed, kingcup, oxeye daisy, yellow rattle, red clover and lady’s mantle were also found to be prospering, making the fields some of the most species-rich in the National Trust’s care.
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (pictured) featured squirrels and owls and was one of Beatrix Potter’s masterpieces. The owls have now returned to hay meadows following intense conservation. The region of the Lake District fell into the care of the National trust when Ms Potter died in 1944
Traditional hay meadows were once the mainstay of rural Britain but suffered a massive decline between the 1930s and 1980s when 97 per cent were lost due to the intensification of farming. A process of conservation lasting 25 years from the National trust has seen them return to their former glory
The famous Hay meadows of the Lake District were decimated and on the brink of destruction when they were ploughed for farmland during the two world wars
The meadows also host a diverse range of bees, birds and insects, including painted lady butterflies which migrate from North Africa each year.
Paul Farrington, area ranger for the National Trust, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the hay meadows here at Hill Top in such good health. As well as being beautiful, these meadows provide a huge food and nectar source for hundreds of species of wildlife.
‘We manage the land using the same traditional practices that would have been used in Beatrix Potter’s day. This includes avoiding artificial fertiliser and cutting the grass later in the summer to allow the plants to flower and set seed.’
Traditional hay meadows were once the mainstay of rural Britain but suffered a massive decline between the 1930s and 1980s when 97 per cent were lost due to the intensification of farming.
The meadows were purchased by Beatrix Potter in 1909 after she bought the nearby Hill Top Farm she would call home for nearly half a century.
The meadows were afforded thanks to the proceeds of her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and gifted to the National Trust following her death in 1944.
Liz Macfarlane, Collections Manager at Hill Top, said: ‘Beatrix Potter was hugely inspired by the countryside around her. She had a naturalist’s eye and from an early age was appreciating and recording varieties of flora and fauna.
‘The colours and scents of the meadows as they appear now would have been very familiar to Beatrix Potter. She took an active role in looking after her land, often rolling up her sleeves to cut the hay.
‘She also depicted the hay meadows at Hill Top in some of her watercolour sketches and writings.’
The meadows also host a diverse range of bees, birds and insects, including painted lady butterflies which migrate from North Africa each year
Flowering plants such as black knapweed, kingcup, oxeye daisy, yellow rattle, red clover and lady’s mantle were also found to be prospering, making the fields some of the most species-rich in the National Trust’s care
