[W]ork has got underway to transform the site of a derelict Boathouse overlooking Derwentwater into a contemporary architectural feature on the lakeshore.
The new development is part of the Lingholm estate near Keswick, where Lake District writer Beatrix Potter penned several of her famed books.
Lingholm’s new-look Boathouse is being built almost adjacent to the previous structure, which had fallen into disuse over many years and was damaged beyond repair in recent flooding. The complex construction project will include a new holiday apartment with panoramic lake views from all the rooms and is expected to be complete by early 2019.
The new larch-clad building is being built on tall steel pilings and has been carefully designed to make the most of its lakeside location, while sensitively blending into the surrounding woodland of the 40 acre Lingholm Estate.
It was designed by Shaw and Jagger Architects and is being built by MPM North West, a Maryport-based family business which specialises in marine construction.
The building programme is being very carefully controlled to ensure there is no harm to any local wildlife or lake inhabitants, including the resident otters.
Owner of the Lingholm Estate, David Seymour, says, “This is a very exciting project and something we have been working towards for almost 5 years now. It’s an intricate build, but we are using modern construction methods to preserve the lakeshore’s outstanding natural beauty, at the same time as creating a unique and contemporary structure.”
He adds, “This is likely to be one of the last new boathouses to be allowed on the shores of Derwentwater, so we want it to be a truly special building which will stand the test of time.”
