Four previously unknown drawings by Beatrix Potter have been found during cleaning at a National Trust property in Suffolk.
The line drawings were found hidden inside books during conservation work at Melford Hall, not far from our holiday parks in Suffolk.
Beatrix Potter is perhaps best known as being the creator of beloved characters Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck, and used to regularly visit the stately home to visit her cousins, the Hyde Parkers, who lived there.
Three of the drawings were found by Josephine Waters, house manager at Melford Hall, who described the moment as being “spine-tingling” after she realised what she had found.
The fourth picture was discovered by Lady Hyde Parker who lives at Melford Hall, and soon all of them will be able to be seen by the public.
Speaking of the discoveries, Josephine Waters said, “We do not know the exact dates for all the drawings, but they give us a glimpse into the world of Beatrix beyond the children's stories and help us to imagine more about who she was as a person, and particularly who she was when she was on holiday and drawing for her own entertainment."
The exhibition, called “Beatrix Potter’s Melford will start on the 13th July and run until the last weekend of October. With the property located about an hour from our parks, any fans of the works of Beatrix Potter will not want to miss this exhibition to learn more about the lady behind the stories.