Langdale Chase hotel in the UK’s Lake District has closed its doors for the most extensive refurbishment since it opened in 1937.
Owner Daniel Thwaites, a northern English family owned, hotel and pub business, has grand works planned for the grade II listed building and its grounds, which will take approximately 12 months to complete.
Historical preservation
The design and interiors have been created by Jane Goff, director at Goff Associates Ltd, inspired by the 1920s and 1930s, the era known as being the ‘heyday’ of the Lake District.
Daniel Thwaites has worked closely with local planning authorities and heritage groups to ensure that the original features of the Victorian buildings, which date back to 1895, will be preserved and restored to their former glory, with a contemporary feel. The historical features, including original wooden wall panelling found in the Main Hall and the Thomas Morson landscaped gardens form a centrepiece of the development.
Hotel history
Sitting on the banks of Lake Windermere, the Lake District National Park property was built in 1890 as a private residence. Langdale Chase first opened its doors as a hotel in 1937 and today still houses features including the original boathouse.
The hotel’s historic gardens were originally designed by Thomas Mawson, the landscape architect behind the Hague’s Peace Palace Gardens.
Striking a balance
Daniel Thwaites’ operations director, Chris Hill, commented: “Revamping a historic building like Langdale Chase, which holds a special place in many people’s hearts, requires striking the right balance between creating high-end luxury and having compassion for the hotel’s character and past. Designing this exciting project, with help from expert planning and heritage authorities has therefore been great fun and will allow us to build something really exciting and special.
“We’ll be unveiling more about Langdale’s new look and feel in due course, but I will say that in a year’s time Langdale Chase will be making headlines for the Lake District.”