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UK Sotheby’s International Realty
Cumbria, England — The beauty of the Lake District, in the county of Cumbria, in northwest Britain, has long captured the imagination of artists.
William Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’’ and several paintings by the artist J.M.W. Turner were inspired by the mountainous region, now a designated national park of 912 square miles.
One of the best-known people associated with the Lake District is the author Beatrix Potter. She was born in London in 1866 but spent many years visiting and then living in the area. Her beautifully illustrated, whimsical tales of animals made her books, which include “The Tale of Peter Rabbit’’ and ‘‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,’’ a global success.
A number of them were written at her home in the village of Near Sawrey, close to the region’s largest body of water, Lake Windermere. The farmhouse she once owned, called Hill Top, now belongs to the The National Trust, a heritage organization, and the Potter connection draws thousands of international visitors each year.
Tourists often choose to stay at Ees Wyke Country House, a nearby hotel that was once a holiday home for Potter and her family for their summer vacations.
Credit
UK Sotheby’s International Realty
The spacious four-story house, which is predominantly a Georgian property with 19th-century updates, is on the market for 1.25 million pounds, or about $1.52 million, with Sotheby’s International Realty.
Ees Wyke has 12 bedrooms, including a self-contained basement flat, and uninterrupted views across open farmland and the nearest lake, Esthwaite Water.
Potter’s family began visiting the house in 1896, when it was named Lakefield, and vacationed there for several years. A number of properties and locations around the village have been featured in her books and paintings, and Potter remarked in her journal that the village was “as nearly perfect a little place as I have ever lived in.’’
Richard Lee, the owner of Ees Wyke, said Potter’s association with the house was well documented. “Beatrix Potter visited a number of times and stayed at Ees Wyke while editing the manuscript for ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit.’ ”
He produced copies of letters from 1902 in which she corresponded with her publisher while staying at the house. One of the letters includes charming sketches of the character Peter Rabbit, the star of her most famous book.
Mr. Lee has owned the house since 2003 and has run it as a bed-and-breakfast with his wife, Margaret. But now he is ready to retire. He said a new owner could continue to run it as a hotel, but he added that it would also make an exceptional private home. Converting it back to a residence would require permission from the local authority.
Credit
UK Sotheby’s International Realty
Lakeside homes in the region rarely sell for less than £2 million.
The property’s Georgian origin is evident in the grand semicircular portico entrance and slate-roofed wraparound porch with ornate ironwork columns. The interiors have original aspects, such as elaborate plasterwork and decorative arches, although a large rear extension is more recent, as is much of the décor.
A 19th-century section of the house has been split into a separate residence, which is not included in the sale offering.
Although original documents for the house have not survived, Mr. Lee said later remodeling had been undertaken by a local architect, Daniel Gibson, who worked within the popular Arts and Crafts style of the 19th century. This creative movement favored naturalistic design using traditional crafts and techniques.
Ees Wyke’s garden, which used to be much larger, is now about 3,000 square meters, or three-quarters of an acre, with traditional stone walls and a quaint summer house at one corner, also built in stone with a slate roof.
The summer house is also attributed to Gibson, and may have been influenced by the work of a Lakeland landscaper, Thomas Mawson, with whom Gibson worked.
Development in the region is strictly controlled and visitors to Ees Wyke will find that the scene is little changed from Potter’s time. The views stretch for miles toward the peaks of the surrounding hills.
“The view is incredible and always breathtaking,” said Mr. Lee. “There’s always something that makes you smile.”
