OF MICE AND BUNNIES: NEAR SAWREY, CUMBRIA/BEATRIX POTTER

Beatrix Potter, who died in 1943, is best known for her children’s books featuring an array of charming animal characters, with illustrations depicting the characters in human clothing.  Benjamin Bunny, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Squirrel Nutkin and their friends were brought together a few years ago as a collection of special 50P pieces, a testament to their enduring popularity.

Potter’s obvious affection for the animal world must in part stem from the fact that she made her home in the Lake District with all its natural wonders.  Her house, Hill Top, now managed by the National Trust, is in the village of Near Sawrey, near the west shore of Lake Windermere.  Some of her favourite possessions can be viewed in the house, while the garden, in the style of the English cottage-garden, displays scenes from her books.

Hill Top Near Sawrey 120510w. Photo by Strobilomyces, via Wikimedia Commons.

On the other side of Lake Windermere, in Bowness-on-Windermere there is an attraction aimed at families called The World of Beatrix Potter with displays featuring the characters in Potter’s books.  I have not visited, but it seems to get the thumbs-up on Tripadvisor.

Map of Near Sawrey.

ISLE BE BACK: BERGERAC 2025/JERSEY

Bergerac first hit our screens in 1981, starring John Nettles as the Jersey detective of the title.  Now in 2025 the series has been reborn, with Damien Molony as Bergerac, battling the booze after the death of his wife.  We don’t see much of the island in the first episode.  There are views over the island’s capital St Helier and several glimpses of one of the island’s best known landmarks, the martello tower on a large rock just off the shore at Portelet Bay.  St Ouen’s Bay on the west coast is the backdrop to a pivotal scene in which Jim decides to give up alcohol.

Portelet Bay - panoramio. Photo by georama, via Wikimedia Commons.

Further on in the series there are scenes shot in Bouley Bay, where the crew were treated to a magnificent early morning sunrise.  This is where Bergerac apprehends the couple suspected of abducting a baby.  Another iconic location in Jersey is the town of Gorey, dominated by Mont Orgueil.  The pier at Gorey features in a later scene.  In episode two, Philip Glenister, who plays businessman Arthur Wakefield is seen on a balcony overlooking a beautiful bay - this is St Brelade’s Bay in the south-west corner of the island.

BOULEY BAY-ISLE OF JERSEY..,, (29871258297). Photo by INDIGO WOLFSBANE, via Wikimedia Commons.

Back in St Helier, the disastrous bag drop scene in episode two takes place in Royal Square, where we glimpse the statue of King George II.  The Central Market also puts in an appearance.  

Royal Square, St Helier - geograph.ci. Photo by Bob Embleton, via Wikimedia Commons.

Two businesses feature in the series: The Driftwood Cafe on Archirondel Beach and La Pulente Restaurant, which doubles as the Jersey Club.  The grounds of Victoria College are also used.  

Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands, which form part of the British Isles as Crown Dependencies.  There are flights to Jersey from a number of regional British airports, and ferry connections from Portsmouth and Poole (as well as St Malo in France).

Map of the island.

A GRAND ABODE FOR A GRAND DECEPTION: THE SCAPEGOAT/KNEBWORTH HOUSE

The Scapegoat, a novel written by Daphne Du Maurier in 1957, concerns a man who one day by chance meets his double, an aristocrat beset with financial and family woes.  The aristocrat gets his new acquaintance drunk and persuades him to swap places, leading to an unfortunate chain of events as he meets the family and attempts to conceal the pretence.

The novel was set in France, and in 1959 a film adaptation was made, also set in France.  In 2012 a second film, starring Matthew Rhys as the two doubles, switched the action to Britain, starring Knebworth House as the aristocrat’s family home.  

Knebworth House - geograph.org.uk - 6582377. Photo by Jim Osley, via Wikimedia Commons.

Knebworth House dates from the 15th century, when Sir Robert Lytton, a close confidant of King Henry VII, purchased the Manor of Knebworth, which was probably a Saxon settlement previously, and set about building the original house.  Successive generations of Lyttons inherited the property.  In 1843 Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton transformed the property into the Tudor Gothic style which was fashionable at the time.  In more recent times the estate has got a name for itself as a concert venue, with such rock greats as Pink Floyd and Genesis playing there.

Knebworth House, which is located to the south-west of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, is open to the public on selected dates from March to September.  As well as the house and gardens, there is a Dinosaur Trail for the kids, and exhibitions on the Lyttons, filming locations and the concerts held there.

Map of the area.

LITERARY PUBS: THE BELL INN, MORETON-IN-MARSH

One recurring feature of Tolkien’s Hobbit tales is the tavern called The Prancing Pony in the fictional town of Bree.  The tavern forms part of an important scene in the first of the trilogy of Lord of the Rings films, being where Frodo and his friends first encounter Aragorn, who is sitting there in a hooded coat smoking a pipe.

While living in Oxford, Tolkien used to frequent the Cotswolds town Moreton-in-Marsh to meet up with his London-based brother. The brothers got together at the Bell Inn, a honey-coloured stone pub in the town’s main street, and this is believed to be the inspiration for the Prancing Pony.  A local branch of the Tolkien Society has had a blue plaque placed by the entrance to commemorate the pub’s connection to Tolkien and his work. The inn was a popular stopover for horse-drawn coaches in the days before the arrival of the railway, and the arched entrance used by the coaches matches the arch in Tolkien’s description of the inn.

Bell Inn Moreton in Marsh back in time. Photo by Ian Alexander, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of the area.

A BIRK OF A WORK: ROBERT BURNS/ABERFELDY

 I often feel the need for a special dictionary when reading the works of Scotland’s most celebrated poet, Robert Burns.  When I came across The Birks of Aberfeldy I had no idea what a birk was.  Turns out it is Gaelic for birch trees, and these are the trees overlooking the Falls of Moness on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, which provided the inspiration for this poem. There is a woodland walk taking in the scene, complete with a statue of Burns.

The Birks of Aberfeldy, Robert Burns statue - geograph.org.uk - 1195252. Photo by Bill Clark, via Wikimedia Commons.

The poem invites a “bony lassie” to go to the birks and enjoy the “flowery braes” (steep banks) and “chrystal streamlets”, “the hoary cliffs…crown’d wi’ flowers”, “fragrant spreading shaws” (hawthorn), and the “burnie” (stream) pouring “white o’er the linns (ravines).  

Aberfeldy is a small town on the banks of the River Tay in Perthshire.  As well as the Burns connection, the town’s main claim to fame is the beautiful old stone bridge dating from 1733 and built by British Army officer General Wade. Near the bridge is the Black Watch Monument consisting of a tall cairn topped by a statue of Private Farquhar Shaw dressed in the uniform of the Black Watch Regiment.

Map of the area.

Wade's Bridge

CRISIS IN CORNWALL: PLAYING NICE

Apparently, James Norton did not want to leave Cornwall when the filming of the ITV series Playing Nice came to an end.  Hardly surprising, given the lovely filming locations the lucky so-and-so and his co-stars had the pleasure of filming in.  A stark contrast to the harrowing subject matter of the series, which starts with two couples leaving hospital with each others’ babies after a mix-up and continues with the subsequent war between the two couples involved..  The book the series is based on was set in London, but Cornwall was chosen for the filming for its dramatic backdrops.

The most stunning scenery seen in the series is that of Cornwall’s majestic north coast, with its soaring cliffs and foaming seas.  The house where Miles, the nemesis of Pete (James Norton), and his wife live is the sort of modern multi-million pound mansion which enrages the locals, who feel such properties do not fit in with their surroundings.  The real house is Sand Dunes in Mawgan Porth, a honeypot for celebrities such as Cate Blanchett who have homes there.  Reportedly worth £4 million, the new owners plan to rent it out for a cool £5,000-plus a week. Further along the north coast, Park Head near Porthcothan Beach is where the dramatic scenes of the last episode were filmed. The restaurant where Pete's wife Maddie works is Zacry's in real life and is on Watergate Bay near Newquay.

Porthcothan Beach - geograph.org.uk - 314452. Photo by Tony Atkin, via Wikimedia Commons.

In the second episode the couples are seen using an outdoor swimming pool.  The scenes were shot at the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, a fine example of a 1930s art deco lido.  It is Grade II listed and widely recognised as one of the best surviving examples of such pools.  I grew up in Penzance and during the summer holidays I practically lived in the Pool as I called it.  The opening day of the season was the highlight of my year, and I would head down there eagerly to get my season ticket.  I can’t remember how much it cost, but it must have been affordable because we were not a particularly well-off family.  Nowadays it would be a very different proposition, as the pool is now geothermal and entry includes a sauna, with prices to match, although there is a discount for locals.

Jubilee Pool, Penzance - geograph.org.uk - 5790808. Photo by Chris Allen, via Wikimedia Commons.

The second episode also offers a glimpse of another iconic building: the Tate St Ives.  This is where Miles and his wife hold a charity event.  The Tate commands a wonderful position overlooking Porthmeor Beach, and anyone visiting must be sure not to miss the cafe on the top floor, which boasts lovely sea views.

Tate St Ives - geograph.org.uk - 1208300. Photo by Sarah Charlesworth, via Wikimedia Commons.

The series offers includes sweeping views of two of Cornwall’s most popular fishing villages, Mevagissey and of Padstow,with one of the most harrowing scenes in the last episode starting out in Mevagissey.  Mevagissey, on the south coast, is popular not only for its own charms, but also for its proximity to the beautiful Lost Gardens of Heligan.  Padstow, on the north coast, is above all famous for its seafood scene, dominated by Rick Stein’s outlets, earning it the nickname Padstein.

A CAMPSITE WITH A DIFFERENCE: MALHAM COVE/HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

 In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry and Hermione find somewhere to set up camp while fleeing Lord Voldemort following the departure of Ron Weasley, they choose a rather curious place for it. They set up their tent, not on a nice soft grassy meadow, but on a cracked limestone ‘pavement’ on top of a cliff.  This is Malham Cove, a unique geological feature in the Yorkshire Dales.  

Malham C0ve 2021 (slight fog). Photo by Addshore, via Wikimedia Commons.

Malham Cove is a curved limestone cliff face 70 metres high which is formed along the line of the Middle Craven Fault.  The unique shape of the cliff arises from the action of water and ice over millions of years.  It is possible to walk up to the limestone pavement, but be aware that the walk takes in some steep climbs and rugged terrain.  Once at the top, care must be taken when negotiating the pavement due to its uneven, cracked surface.  A short distance from the top is a body of water called Malham Tarn, and the famous Gordale Scar is also nearby.  Back in Malham village there are a number of refreshment options and places to stay.

Map of the area.

LITERARY PUBS: THE NEW INN, CLOVELLY

It is amazing how often Charles Dickens’ name crops up when I am researching literary pubs.  The New Inn in Clovelly is one of the many hostelries visited by the writer during his lifetime.  He supped there in 1860, and he renamed the village Steepways when writing about it for the magazine All the Year Round.

Other authors who visited the inn include Sir Walter Raleigh, who stayed there on his honeymoon, Charles Kingsley and Josephine Tozier.  Tozier produced a book named Among English Inns and included a piece about the New Inn, describing it as “a doll’s inn”, "perfectly proportioned" and stuffed with breakable china objects. 

The New Inn is one of two inns in the pretty North Devon village of Clovelly, which is subject to an entrance charge.  For the first-time visitor it is immediately apparent why Dickens named the village Steepways, as the main street running through the village is so steep that coming back up necessitates frequent stops for breath, even for the fittest.  However, it is well worth the visit, both for the village itself and for the wonderful views along the coast.

Clovelly, The New Inn (10857529533). Photo courtesy of National Media Museum, via Wikimedia Commons.