"[7] Growing up in London, she could not own a horse, and instead developed an obsession with them—all her early books are about young girls who have ponies.

In 1950, Peyton published her first novel Sabre, the Horse from the Sea, illustrated by British artist Lionel Edwards.

When they returned to Britain, Peyton completed a Teaching Diploma and taught for three years at Northampton High School.

[6] After the birth of two her daughters, Peyton started writing fiction novels and returned to the topic of her "first love"—ponies, horses and equestrianism.

[6] In association with the Oxford University Press, Peyton's novels were illustrated by artist Victor G. Ambrus in the late 1960s.

[12] During the 1970s, her best-selling series Flambards was published in multiple languages, such as Italian, German, Finnish, and Swedish.

[4][16][b] Peyton was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to children's literature.

The TV miniseries, Flambards, starring Christine McKenna as the heroine Christina Parsons, comprised 13 episodes.

A Pattern of Roses (1972) was adapted in 1983 as a TV film, introducing Helena Bonham Carter in her first screen role.

[19] § By age fifteen, Kathleen Herald had written "about ten more" novels that publishers rejected with "very nice letters".