Joanna Lumley left heartbroken as Peter Pan's Scottish 'home' faces closure due to mounting running costs and dwindling visitors Actress is a patron of a trust which helped save Georgian Mansion Moat Brae Peter Pan author JM Barrie spent his summers at the property when he was a teenager The building opened as a reading hub in 2019 but has been forced to close its doors due to high running costs Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport By Paula Murray Published: 15:51 EDT, 13 August 2024 | Updated: 15:53 EDT, 13 August 2024 e-mail View comments She has championed the former Scottish home of Peter Pan author JM Barrie as monument to children’s literature. Now Absolutely Fabulous star Dame Joanna Lumley has said she is ‘heartbroken’ the Dumfries mansion which spawned the famous character is facing imminent closure. The actress is a patron of a trust which helped save Moat Brae and turn it into a hub for reading.
And she has said the building ‘deserves’ to be kept going for ‘historical reasons’ despite the issues faced by the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust (PPMBT). The Georgian mansion, where the author spent his summers as a teenager, was at risk of demolition until the trust stepped in. Joanna Lumley unveiled a statue of Peter Pan in Dumfries, which inspired JM Barrie to write Peter Pan Moat Brae, where author JM Barrie spent his summer holidays as a teenager Following a 10-year fundraising drive, the PPMBT opened the doors of the fully.