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Royal Oak, Keswick
Royal Oak
locality:-   Keswick
civil parish:-   Keswick (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   inn
coordinates:-   NY26712342
1Km square:-   NY2623
10Km square:-   NY22

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CGJ56.jpg (taken 15.8.2017)  
photograph
CGJ57.jpg (taken 15.8.2017)  
evidence:-   road book:- Cary 1798 (2nd edn 1802) 
placename:-  Royal Oak
source data:-   Road book, itineraries, Cary's New Itinerary, by John Cary, 181 Strand, London, 2nd edn 1802.
image CY38p317, button  goto source
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page 317-318  "INNS. ... Keswick, Queen's Head, Royal Oak. ..."
item:-  JandMN : 228.1
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evidence:-   road book:- Cary 1798 (2nd edn 1802) 
placename:-  Royal Oak
source data:-   Road book, itineraries, Cary's New Itinerary, by John Cary, 181 Strand, London, 2nd edn 1802.
image CY38p735, button  goto source
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page 735-736  "INNS. ... Keswick, Queen's Head, Royal Oak."
item:-  JandMN : 228.2
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evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
item:-  post chaise; horse; jaunting car; boat
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.
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Page 117:-  "Keswick ... The principal inns are the Royal Oak and Queen's Head; ..."
"... Post chaises, ponies, and jaunting cars may be had at the inns, with experienced guides for excursions by land; and neat pleasure-boats with intelligent boatmen for the water."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
placename:-  Royal Oak
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.
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Page 51:-  "..."
"[Keswick] ... The chief inns are the Royal Oak and Queen's Head; but there are several smaller inns, where parties may be accommodated, besides many neatly-furnished private lodgings. ..."
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Page 166:-  "[Keswick] ... all the accommodations for visitors are good. ... inns, Royal Oak and Queen's Head."
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.
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Page 73:-  "The inns of Keswick are numerous. The chief are the Royal Oak, the Queen's Head, and the King's Arms,- all good."
evidence:-   old advertisement:- Jenkinson 1875 B
placename:-  Royal Oak Hotel, The
source data:-   Advertisements for Edward Bowden, The Royal Oak Hotel, Keswick, Cumberland, ... published by Edward Stanford, 55 Charing Cross, London, 1875 edn 1884?
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Adverts p.16 at the back of Jenkinson's Smaller Practical Guide to Carlisle, Gilsland, Roman Wall and Neighbourhood. 
item:-  Armitt Library : A1717.11
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 stained glass
evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Royal Oak Hotel
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"ROYAL OAK HOTEL / / STATION STREET / KESWICK / ALLERDALE / CUMBRIA / II / 71802 / NY2669523416"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"Late C18 and 1909. 3 storeys, the ground floor of scored stucco, pebbledashed above. Main Street front has 2 shouldered-arched entrances with Gibbs surrounds, 7 windows without glazing bars, bands. Station Street front of older part has 2 stair windows, otherwise 3 windows each floor. Extension to right (east) dated 1909-10, also 3 storeys, with slate ground floor, dated over doorway and on rainwater-heads; gables, 4 canted oriels, stone doorway with large round hood, 12 windows including wing at right angles on east end, mostly 4-light casements with wood mullions and transoms, and some original ornamental glazing. This was the main coaching inn of Keswick, and the meeting place for poets. Sir Walter Scott wrote part of "Bridal of Triermain" here. Lord Tennyson and R L Stevenson visited, also John Peel. Interior has cornices."
evidence:-   old advertisement:- Heywood 1906
placename:-  Royal Oak Hotel
source data:-   Advertisement, for D N Pape, Royal Oak Hotel, Keswick, Cumberland, published by Abel Heywood and Son, 56-58 Oldham Street, Manchester, and by Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co, Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row, London, 1906.
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In a Guide to Keswick and its Vicinity in the Penny Guide Books series. 
item:-  JandMN : 348.24
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evidence:-   old advertisement:- Linton 1852
placename:-  Royal Oak Hotel
source data:-   Advertisement, for ... I Teather, Royal Oak Hotel, Keswick, ... published by Whittaker and Co, London, and by R Gibson and Son and by Callander and Dixon, Whitehaven, Cumberland, 1852.
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Advertisments p.2 in A Handbook of the Whitehaven and Furness Railway, by John Linton. 
item:-  Armitt Library : A1158.15
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BOQ17.jpg  
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BOQ16.jpg  
hearsay:-  
 On the outside wall of the Jobcentre is a plaque:-
"The Royal Oak Hotel"
"This ancient hostelry, formerly the Oak Inn, has been from the days of Queen Elizabeth the centre of the commercial activities and social life of Keswick. The headquarters in the 18th Century of a thriving pack horse trade, this inn became, subsequently, no less renown, as a posting establishment and halting place for stage coaches. No less celebrated are the literary associations of this house. For it was frequented by Robert Southey, Samuel Taylor and Hartley Coleridge, the Wordsworths, Shelley, Thomas de Quincey, Christopher North and other lakeland poets and writers. Here Sir Walter Scott wrote part of his 'Bridal of Triermain', and here too Lord Tenyson and Robert Louis Stevenson were visitors, while the 'Skiddaw Hermit' and John Peel of Hunting Fame, were frequently to be seen within its walls."
An extract from:-
"The Story of The Royal Oak Hotel at Keswick"
by George D. Abraham
"The Haunt of the Lakeland Poets"
"... Then came the epoch of changing owners and landlords at the ROYAL OAK and the great days of the Lake Poets, which began with Southey's arrival at Greta Hall in 1803. The Coleridges shared Greta Hall with him for a time and with the Wordsworths and de Quincey as Grasmere there were frequent gatherings in Keswick Vale. Yet the King~s Laureate mostly lived a quiet life, and we can easily picture the quaint figure ambling up the grey and white cottage-line street in his wad-polished clogs to hear the latest news at the Royal Oak. In later years Hartley Coleridge would often travel over the Raise and awake the echoes of the old bar with song and story. 'Lile Hartley,' as he was affectionately called, was the poet-hero of the dalesmen. He could rhyme by the hour together, and as a final call would have his 'drinks settled' for him by reciting his much acclaimed ditty, 'The Tortoiseshell Cat.'"
"Another notable character and an artistic one withal, was the Skiddaw Hermit, who came bare-footed from his mountain dwelling for a 'crack and a sup' in 't' auld ingle neuk.' Now and again the famous Northern Nimrod, John Peel, on his favourite mare, 'Binsey,' would come clattering through the main street on his homeward way. Peel loved his hounds devoutly, and should one get lost he would think nothing of spending days and nights on the mountains until recovery was made, and so back to Caldbeck. ..."
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