Beatrix Potter doll’s house back on display after 300 hours of conservation work

A doll’s house which inspired the stories of children’s author Beatrix Potter is going back on display after 300 hours of conservation work.

Seventy-three miniature items – including furniture, plates of food and even a small chandelier – were repaired and cleaned by teams of conservators at the National Trust ahead of the house becoming the centrepiece of a new exhibition at Hill Top, the author’s farm near Hawkshead, Cumbria.

The items in the house were given to Potter by her publisher Norman Warne for inspiration and feature in her book The Tale Of Two Bad Mice, in which characters Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb attempt to steal some of the miniature food – only to discover it is glued to the plates.

Mr Warne later proposed to the author, who accepted, but he died in 1905 before they could marry.

Years later, in the 1930s, the famous writer bought the doll’s house so the items could be played with by children.

Hill Top property curator Katy Canales said: “The doll’s house contents are really important because they feature so strongly in one of Beatrix’s best-loved tales but also because of the significance to her life and her relationship with Norman Warne.

“It is always one of the more popular items with our visitors but now the conservators have done a wonderful job to bring it back up to such a high standard it is good to have it as the centrepiece of our new display.

“Beatrix acquired this doll’s house in her 70s and welcomed the children in her life to play with it. Now, in that same spirit, visitors can spotlight items in the house and discover the stories behind them. Our new display continues her legacy and invites everyone to be playful.”

Restoration work included stabilising part of the roof edge, filling cracks, mending torn wallpaper and reattaching broken or loose pieces.

Once the repairs were completed, a detailed clean took place, with micro-vacuum cleaners used for silk cushion covers.

Experts at the National Trust’s Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk worked on the house’s carpet, upholstered furniture, and dolls’ clothes while conservators at the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio in Kent restored pieces of wooden furniture, ceramic and glass items and paper, including wallpaper, watercolours and drawings.

The house will be kept in an interactive case, allowing visitors to spotlight different objects, and be put on display alongside a letter written by the author to a young American boy, containing a description and illustration of pet mouse Hunca Munca.

Ms Canales said: “This is one of hundreds of letters that Beatrix wrote to children across the world to support their love of reading and share her love of animals and storytelling. It features the escapades of her beloved pets Mrs Tiggy and Hunca Munca, who would go on to inspire her future tales.”

Animations of the much-loved illustrations will be projected on the walls of the farm’s New Room for the Two Bad Mice: Pets To Page exhibition, which runs from Saturday until November 2026.

The conservation work will feature in an upcoming series of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, due to be broadcast on the BBC in the spring.

Published: 14/02/2025 by Radio NewsHub