Beatrix Potter spent her summers in the Lake District between 1882 and 1901. During this time she developed a love for the area and a passion for the natural world. She painted a huge number of artworks and was especially drawn to fungi.

There are over 300 original fungi and microscopic artworks in The Armitt’s collection. For 2025, you can explore those pieces which connect to her time on holiday at Wray Castle, Lingholm, Holehird and Lakefield. The exhibition also brings together other items – documents and photographs – from these places to show how Beatrix was inspired by the landscape for her art and stories.

Wray Castle
Beatrix Potter stayed at Wray Castle with her family in the summer months of 1882. Their usual holiday location, Dalguise House in Perthshire, Scotland was unavailable, so they selected the Lake District instead. This was Beatrix’s first experience of the area, but it wasn’t to be her last.

Lingholm
When she was 19, Beatrix Potter first stayed at Lingholm, near Derwentwater, Keswick. Over the next twenty years, she spent ten summers in this area with her family. It became the most frequented and favourite of her Lakeland holiday homes.

Holehird
Holehird is a historic estate located near Windermere, known for its stunning gardens and scenic views. Beatrix Potter and her family rented Holehird for two summers in 1889 and 1895.

Lakefield
In 1896, Beatrix Potter and family rented Lakefield (now known as Ees Wyke). It is in the village of Near Sawrey, not far from Hill Top Farm and Castle Cottage where she lived in later life.