The Troutbeck Valley runs into the fells to the North East out of Windermere, through the seventeenth century village of Troutbeck. The road which runs through the valley rises dramatically toward the Kirkstone Pass and its famous Inn, rebuilt in the 1830s by Sewell the local priest.
As you climb the pass there is a superb view to the right of the head of the valley and the piece of land known as the Tongue (old Norse tunga or table land between two valleys) that joins Hird Ghyll on one side and Hag Ghyll on the other.
At the base of the tongue are the picturesque white farmhouse and outbuildings of Troutbeck Park Farm. In 1923 Beatrix Potter purchased the farm, the deeds containing twenty five separately described parcels of land running to 1875 acres for which she paid £8000. The farm was conveyed to her on 28th August 1923 making her one of the largest landowners in the English Lake District.
Writer and illustrator (Tales of Peter Rabbit and many more), animal lover and conservationist, Beatrix Potter purchased the farm to save it from being developed into holiday accommodation, a blight on Lakeland which remains even to this day. The farm at one point was apparently part of an ancient Norman Deer Park and home to a variety of animal and bird life. On its land were stands of old forest, ruined walls and ancient stone huts and cairns, besides an alleged prehistoric burial mound.
Shortly after buying the farm she witnessed her first Coniston fox hunt at the Park. Watching in amazement as the hounds “bravely spilled down over the crags and fells in pursuit of their quarry,” she had taken off her shoes and stockings and then waded through the beck, the only clean place on the farm to rejoin the hunt spectators.
The Westmorland Gazette reported on October 18, 1924, “On Wednesday the meet was at Grove Farm, Ambleside, in glorious weather, almost too warm for hunting and the countryside looking its loveliest in its autumn tints.
“George Chapman was in charge of hounds and in addition to the master Mr. W.B Logan; there were present Mr and Mrs G. Grundy, Major Mylne, Messers. J. Coward (Windermere) Mr. and Mrs. Milburn, Mrs W. Heelis [Beattrix Potter], Messers. J. Logan, J. Nelson and others.
“Wansfell Hundreds were drawn and a faint drag was struck in Pooles Lot, but it was very difficult to make anything out until the lot above Raven’s Crag was reached when a fox was unkennelled which made down bank and swung to the left, crossing the Kirkstone highway not far from Woundle Gate. There was a nice hunt at this stage, the pack following well together towards Hallylands when on reaching the higher ground music died away and it was first thought that reynard had holed in Hallylands borran, but some hounds seemed bent on hunting back down the park and they were given every encouragement, but the hot sun working on the recently sodden landscape made that most mysterious of all things, scent, more mysterious than ever, as when on the point of abandoning all further search for the day, the fox was put off a fresh in the vicinity of bank end. One of the hounds viewed him and soon had the rest of the pack hard on his brush, so that Reynard took towards the fell, but was obliged to take refuge under some rocks in Hallylands. Mrs Leake’s little terrier from the Park entered the borran and won the issue with reynard. Messers J. Coward, A. Moss and W. Townley went down to the park for implements and after about two hours working, the carcass of a dog fox was secured, the brush being presented to Mrs W. Heelis [Beatrix Potter]. Although it was not a great hunt, the sport was greatly enjoyed and it was sufficient to indicate that hounds are in the best of fettle.”
He trotted down to the village to look for two
foxhound puppies who were out at walk
with the butcher. -The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckBeatrix began to add land to the perimeters of the farm as a buffer against development. From December 1923 to September 1927 she added seven closes, including several small contiguous fields, costing an additional £4000 to ensure her intake fields were protected, the aim being to hold all the land along the road frontage against development. Drainage in the fields was a problem as the grazing land was of poor quality withresulting effect on the stock, and despite major investment in materials and labour was never overcome
The records show that Beatrix Potter was a great supporter of the Coniston Foxhounds, being both a subscriber and hound walker, a fact sadly glossed over in today’s politically correct culture.
The hound pups immortalized in her book The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck and pictured outside the Tower Bank Arms at Sawrey probably belonged to the Coniston hunt.
When the deeds of her properties were passed to the National Trust, included in the deeds to Troutbeck Park was the clause that foxhunting was to be allowed to be carried out on her land for all time. However there was to be no hunting by Harriers or Otter hounds (to the great relief of Peter Rabbit and the wicked otters)!
When she died in 1943 her estate was valued at £211,636.4s.10d, or approximately £7 million at today’s value.
Posted July 11, 2013
For more of Ron Black’s work, visit his website dedicated to preserving the history, culture, stories, and songs of Lakeland hunting.
