The building is located within Fell Foot Park, a large country park now owned by The National Trust.
Whilst Fell Foot Park is currently used as a country park for visitors wanting to experience leisure pursuits close to the lake, the landscape was once the private grounds of a large country estate with a grand villa house as its central focus. The estate has its origins in a modest house, dating from the early 17th century, now removed, but the major period of development was from around 1859 when Colonel Ridehalgh purchased the estate and set about a major re-modelling of the landscape and the buildings it contained (Rutherford, May 2008 – Fell Foot Conservation Framework Plan).
Boathouse 1 originally had planning permission to be demolished, however after reviewing the historic significance of the boathouse in the wider complex of Fell Foot Park and the neighbouring Listed Boathouses it was decided that retention of the building and a more sensitive approach to alterations should be made.
The building was therefore altered and extended to create a visitor welcome point and sheltered area for those visiting the park, also including an area for storage and activity briefing.
The works included the construction of a new flat roofed extension with a modern aesthetic that related to the new active base development but still allowed the form of the original boathouse to stand alone.
We are interested in all aspects and sizes of architectural projects, for both private and public sector clients. If you have a project you would like to discuss with us, or are just looking for some advice, please do not hesitate to telephone, email or write.
