A cherished doll's house, once owned by beloved children's author Beatrix Potter, has undergone a meticulous 300-hour conservation effort. The National Trust restored the miniature items, including furniture, food, and even a chandelier, which will be displayed at Hill Top, Potter's former farm. The doll's house holds special significance as it inspired one of Potter's most famous tales, 'The Tale of Two Bad Mice', and was a gift from her fiancé, Norman Warne.
A doll's house that once sparked the imagination of famed children's author Beatrix Potter is set to be showcased once again after an extensive 300-hour conservation effort. The National Trust 's team of conservators meticulously repaired and cleaned seventy-three miniature items, including tiny furniture, plates of food, and even a diminutive chandelier. These items will now take pride of place in a new exhibition at Hill Top , Potter's former farm located near Hawkshead, Cumbria.
Potter received these miniatures from her publisher Norman Warne as a source of inspiration, and they prominently feature in her book 'The Tale Of Two Bad Mice'. In this story, the characters Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb try to make off with the miniature food, only to realise it's affixed to the plates. Warne, who later became engaged to Potter, tragically passed away in 1905 before they could wed. Decades on, in the 1930s, Potter purchased the doll's house, intending for the items to be enjoyed by children. Katy Canales, the property curator at Hill Top, 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
History Beatrix Potter Doll's House Conservation Hill Top The Tale Of Two Bad Mice Norman Warne National Trust Exhibition Restoration
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