Boathouse Conversion, Fell Foot Park
The Brief
Repurposing a redundant boathouse and helping visitors understand the history of Fell Foot and its relationship with the lake
Fell Foot Park sits at the southern end of the eastern shore of Windermere. Once part of a private country estate, the park developed significantly under Colonel George John Miller Ridehalgh from the mid-19th century. Its surviving Victorian harbour complex includes five Gothic boathouses, built as part of the estate’s strong connection with boating on the lake.
The National Trust wanted to bring one of the redundant boathouses back into use as a visitor welcome point and sheltered space, particularly for people arriving at Fell Foot by boat. The building would also provide storage and space for activity briefings.
John Coward Architects was appointed as architect and lead consultant and acted as contract administrator throughout construction. The project ran from 2016 to 2020.
Key features
- Conversion and alteration of an existing boathouse
- Visitor welcome point and sheltered space
- Facilities for visitors arriving by boat
- Storage and activity briefing space
- Boathouse retained after earlier proposals for demolition
- Repair and replacement of historic fabric on a like-for-like basis
- Contemporary timber extension
- John Coward Architects appointed as architect and lead consultant
- Contract administration throughout construction
- Lake District National Park and World Heritage Site setting
Retaining the boathouse
One of the most important changes came during the early site investigation. Boathouse 1 already had permission for demolition, but our work on its history and its importance within the wider group of boathouses led us to conclude it should be retained. The scheme was therefore developed around the existing building rather than its removal.
Much of the design involved working with what was already there. Existing materials were repaired or replaced on a like-for-like basis wherever possible, allowing the character of the boathouse to remain clear.
Where something new was needed, we took a different approach. We replaced an unsympathetic later extension with a new timber addition, contrasting with the stone walls of the original building rather than trying to imitate them. The flat-roofed extension was designed so that the form of the historic boathouse could still be read clearly.
The setting was central to the project. Fell Foot lies within the Lake District National Park and World Heritage Site, on a part of Windermere used for recreation and tourism for generations. The completed project gives the boathouse a new use and helps visitors better understand Fell Foot’s history, why the boathouses are there, and how the site was used.
