Children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, creator of much-loved characters such as Squirrel Nutkin, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, is well known for her connections with the Lake District where she eventually settled at Hill Top, a small farm in the tiny hamlet of Near Sawrey. Her links with Wales, in particular Gwaenynog Hall, and the inspiration it provided, however, are less well documented.
Beatrix was born in London in 1866 into an affluent, well-connected Victorian household, and from an early age she was studying and drawing the natural world. Beatrix and her family would often spend long holidays with family and friends in the countryside where she could indulge her passion for plants and animals. As she grew older, gardens in particular intrigued
