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Swan Hotel, Grasmere
Swan Hotel
locality:-   Grasmere
civil parish:-   Lakes (formerly Westmorland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   inn (hotel) 
coordinates:-   NY33970825
1Km square:-   NY3308
10Km square:-   NY30

photograph
BNQ12.jpg  Innsign, a swan, and a quote from the 'Waggoner' by Willlam Wordsworth:-
"WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE FAMOUS SWAN" (taken 11.5.2007)  
photograph
BNQ11.jpg (taken 11.5.2007)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 19 13) 
placename:-  Swan 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:- Otley 1818
placename:-  Swan
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, The District of the Lakes, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Jonathan Otley, 1818, engraved by J and G Menzies, Edinburgh, Scotland, published by Jonathan Otley, Keswick, Cumberland, et al, 1833.
image
OT02NY30.jpg
item:-  JandMN : 48.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
placename:-  Swan, The
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 OT01P014, button  goto source
Page 14:-  "..."
"There are two good houses for the accommodation of travellers [at Grasmere]: the Red Lion, supplying post horses and jaunting cars, is near the Church; and the Swan on the Turnpike road."
"..."
image OT01P110, button  goto source
Page 110:-  "... the Swan is on the turnpike road, at the distance of four miles and a half from Ambleside."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
placename:-  Swan 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 FD01P044, button  goto source
Page 44:-  "..."
"The Swan inn stands on the high road, beyond the lake [Grasmere] ..."
Page 164:-  "[Grasmere] ... The Swan Inn stands by the road-side, and a little distant on the left, near the church, is the Red Lion. Both these inns will afford sufficient accommodation for a tourist, disposed to journey into the hidden beauties of this and its auxiliary vale of Easedale. ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  Swan Inn
source data:-   Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
image
GAR2NY30.jpg
"Swan Inn"
block, building 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page
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 MNU1P049, button  goto source
Page 49:-  "... The long white house, near the foot of Helvellyn, is the Swan Inn, whence Scott, Southey, and Wordsworth, set forth on ponies for the ascent of the mountain: ..."
"..."
image MNU1P067, button  goto source
Page 67:-  "The road from Ambleside to Keswick has already fallen under our observation as far as Grasmere, and its conspicuous white inn, the Swan. That inn had the honour of providing Scott with a daily draught of something good, when he was, in his early days, the guest of Wordsworth and his sister at Grasmere,- their board being conscientiously humble, as they used to tell, to a degree, which did not suit the taste of their"
image MNU1P068, button  goto source
Page 68:-  "guest. By some device or another, Scott managed to pay a daily visit to the Swan without his friends being aware of it. But, when he, Wordsworth, and Southey were to ascend Helvellyn, mounting their ponies at the Swan, the host saw their approach, and cried out to Scott, "Eh, sir! you've come early for your drink to-day." It was a complete escape of the cat from the bag; but Wordsworth was not one to be troubled by such a discovery. No doubt he took the unlucky speech more serenely than his guest."
evidence:-   old print:- Goodwin 1887 (edn 1890) 
placename:-  Swan Inn
source data:-   Print, etching? The Swan Inn, Grasmere, Westmorland, by Harry Goodwin, published by Swan Sonnenschein and Co, Paternoster Square, London, 1890.
image  click to enlarge
PR1614.jpg
Tipped in opposite p.218 of Through the Wordsworth Country, by William Knight. 
printed at lower centre:-  "The Swan Inn"
item:-  JandMN : 382.44
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
PW1A08.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:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Swan Hotel
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"SWAN HOTEL / / / LAKES / SOUTH LAKELAND / CUMBRIA / II / 452103 / NY3397608254"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"Old coaching inn, altered and extended at various dates in sympathetic centre style. 2 storeys. White-washed stone rubble. The oldest portion has centre porch with a gable/hood on timber posts, 2 sash windows on ground floor and 3 16-paned sashes above. 1 bay added to north end and 3 bays added to south end, all in same style and same proportions."
hearsay:-  
 Sir Walter Scott, staying with William Wordsworth who provided meagre food, frequented the inn to add to his diet. There was embarassment when Scott and Wordsworth called to hire a pony, and the landlord expressed his surprise at seeing Scott so early.
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