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Lodore Hotel, Borrowdale
Lodore Hotel
locality:-   Lodore
civil parish:-   Borrowdale (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   inn (hotel) 
coordinates:-   NY264188
1Km square:-   NY2618
10Km square:-   NY21

photograph
BMR47.jpg (taken 22.9.2006)  
photograph
BLT99.jpg (taken 3.4.2006)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 70 2) 
placename:-  Lowdore Hotel
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   old map:- Crosthwaite 1783-94 (Der) 
placename:-  Low Door Hotel
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, An Accurate Map of the Matchless Lake of Derwent, ie Derwent Water, scale about 3 inches to 1 mile, by Peter Crosthwaite, Keswick, Cumberland, 1783, version published 1800.
image
CT2NY21T.jpg
"Low Door Hotel / R. Stephenson's Esq."
item:-  Armitt Library : 1959.191.3
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- West 1784 map
placename:-  Lowdore
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A Map of the Lakes in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, engraved by Paas, 53 Holborn, London, about 1784.
image
Ws02NY22.jpg
item:-  Armitt Library : A1221.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Clarke 1787
item:-  cat; dog
source data:-   Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.
image CL13P074, button  goto source
Page 74:-  "..."
"From the Floating-Island, let the boat proceed to Lodore, Low-door, or (as the inhabitants call it) Low-low-Door, a neat and commodious little inn; then let the travellers land, and order their boat to meet them at the foot of Manesty Park, or Hardendale Knott. (See plate VI.)"
"On the 28th of July 1785 I dined here; my fare was bacon and eggs, and I sat in a manner not much unlike the account Robinson Crusoe gives of his situation in his solitude. I was seated (according to the custom of the country) at the end of a long oaken table, with only those inseparable attendants of a country table, the cat and dog, who took their stations one on each side of me; puss on my left-hand, and the dog on my right. In these solitary parts of the country, domestic animals are treated with the greatest kindness; their actions, therefore, shew their conversation with mankind, and may be always interpreted: they cannot speak, but they can converse by signs. No sooner was I seated, than Puss jumped into the window, (which in all cottages is behind the table,) which window was very near me. She looked at me with a face of inquiry , which seemed to say, "Am I making too free?" I was too much engaged with my dinner to give her an answer, but did not drive her away: seeing herself not particularly noticed, she then came to my right-hand, not over the table, but under it; and putting her foot gently upon my knee, looked earnestly, but something timidly in my face: as I was still too much engaged in gratifying my own appetite, to mind her much, I gave her no encouragement, whereupon she walked round me, and planted herself again at my left-hand. The dog, who had observed all her motions, seemed to disapprove of them; and testified his disapprobation, not by snarling, but by his eyes, which were watchfully fixed, sometimes on me, sometimes on the cat. He spoke as plain as eyes could speak to Puss, "Be not too troublesome with your advances; we may with patience obtain our wishes, but too much importunity may get us turned out of doors.""
"This story may seem to the sage speculatist to bear a thousand morals; to me, who was merely in search of pleasure, it bore only one, which I heartily wish all other pleasure-hunters would take along with them when they set out:Attend carefully to the workings of Nature: search in them for pleasure; be they ever so minute, you can not be disappointed."
evidence:-   old map:- Clarke 1787 map (Der) 
placename:-  Low Low Door
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of Derwentwater and its Environs, scale about 13 ins to 1 mile, by James Clarke, engraved by S J Neele, published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland and in London etc, 1787.
image
CL152619.jpg
"LOW LOW DOOR"
buildings 
item:-  private collection : 169
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
item:-  cannon; echoes
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P122, button  goto source
"... Lowdore,- famous for its waterfall. Here is a neat public-house, where a cannon is kept for the echo which is very fine, especially in a still evening."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
placename:-  Lowdore Inn
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.
image FD01P166, button  goto source
Page 166:-  "..."
"Lowdore Inn.- Close to the inn, in the ravine betwixt Gowdar Crag and Shepherd's Crag, is the fall of Lowdore, ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Martineau 1855
source data:-   Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.
image MNU1P081, button  goto source
Page 81:-  "... the traveller begins to listen for the fall of Lodore, and he finds the inn at the distance of a mile from Grange. It is a delightful little inn, clean and well managed, and, by its situation, preferable to those at Keswick, except for the convenience of head-quarters. ..."
evidence:-   old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s
item:-  boat; rowing boat; costume
source data:-   Photograph, black and white, Lodore Hotel by Derwent Water, Borrowdale, Cumberland, by Herbert Bell, photographer, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.
image  click to enlarge
HB0933.jpg
internegative at lower right:-  "H. Bell"
item:-  Armitt Library : ALPS610
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s
source data:-   Photograph, black and white, Derwent Water and Lodore, Borrowdale, Cumberland, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.
image  click to enlarge
HB0475.jpg
internegative at lower left:-  "H. Bell"
stamped at reverse:-  "HERBERT BELL / Photographer / AMBLESIDE"
item:-  Armitt Library : ALPS134
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s
item:-  rowing boat; boat
source data:-   Photograph, sepia, Lodore Hotel, Borrowdale, Cumberland, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.
image  click to enlarge
HB0486.jpg
item:-  Armitt Library : ALPS145
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old advertisement:- Philip/Wilson 1890s
source data:-   Advertisement from The Concise Series of Guides No.1, The English Lake District, published about 1895.
image  click to enlarge
PW1A18.jpg
Guide book published by George Philip and Son, 32 Fleet Street, London, Philip, Son and Nephew, Liverpool, Lancashire, and Titus Wilson, Kendal, Westmorland, about 1895. 
item:-  JandMN : 58
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
source data:-   Print, chromolithograph, Derwent Water, Cumberland, published by T Nelson and Sons, London, 1900s?
image  click to enlarge
PR0166.jpg
From a set of prints, The Scenery of the English Lakes 
printed at lower centre:-  "T. NELSON &SONS"
printed at bottom left:-  "DERWENT WATER"
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2008.107.166
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
placename:-  Lodore Hotel
source data:-   Scott's Lodore Hotel, Derwentwater, published by J Scott, Lodore Hotel, Cumberland with advertisement on reverse side.
image  click to enlarge
PR0413.jpg
Print, uncoloured engraving, Lodore Hotel, viewed from the lake side. 
printed at bottom:-  "Scott's Lodore Hotel, Derwentwater"
image  click to enlarge
PR0460.jpg
Advertisement on the reverse side of the print of Scott's Lodore Hotel:-  "Under the Distinguished Patronage OF THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES THE PRINCE OF WALES AND PRINCE ARTHUR. / LODORE HOTEL, AT THE HEAD OF DERWENTWATER, KESWICK, IS THE ONLY HOTEL NEAR THE LAKE. / THE above First-Class Establishment was enlarged especially for an Hotel in 1870. It is situate on the Margin of the Lake, and is replete with every modern improvement, containing the Largest Coffee Room in the Lake District, magnificent Ladies' Coffee Room, Private Sitting Rooms, and Sixty Beds; Hot and Cold Baths, and every other accommodation required in a first-class Hotel. It is delightfully situated in its own Pleasure Grounds, which slope down to the margin of the Lake, and the windows command the grandest scenery in the district, embracing the whole of Derwentwater with its majestic mountains. The celebrated Falls of Lodore are in the Private Grounds at the rear of the Hotel. Parties not staying at the Hotel must have permission from the Proprietor to view the Falls and Grounds. / Fishing free, a third of Derwentwater Lake belonging to the Owner of this Hotel. Parties boarded by week or month. An Omnibus meets the Trains at the Keswick Railway Station, and also runs in connection with Rigg's Royal Mail Coaches from Windermere. Boats supplied direct, and Posting in all its branches. / PARTIES TAKEN TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS FREE OF CHARGE. / J. SCOTT, PROPRIETOR."
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2008.107.406
Image © see bottom of page
hearsay:-  
 A small cannon was once available to set off echoes from the surrounding hills; 4 shillings per bang.
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