HOMES & GARDENS
November 2010

We love the Swan Hotel & Spa – A triumphant new look after the Cumbrian floods makes this Lakeland retreat a joy to visit.

A strange gurgling in the lift shafts was the first sign that all was not well in the bardsley family’s hotel. A victim of last year’s Cumbria floods, the ensuing torrent of water completely decimated the ground floor of the Swan Hotel & Spa.

Not ones to give in to adversity, the family took the opportunity to reinvent the 17th –century inn. “An interior designer had given us a modern scheme, which was not really how we saw the hotel,” explains Audrey Bardsley. “We wanted something more traditional, a home from home.”

Audrey took on the project herself, giving each room its personality, the library boasts family friendly leather sofas, the inn has suggestions of a potting shed filled with flowers and the welcoming reception is based on a hunting lodge. She has used local craftsmen where possible, adding modern twists from the likes of Andrew Martin, Designers Guild and Original BTC. “It now looks how we always wanted it to – we are so proud,” says Audrey.

With adversity overcome, it’s clear to see that triumph prevails.


NEED TO KNOW...

- At the heart of the Lake District with views over the River Leven, 50 rooms and suites from £99 per night.

- Espa spa, gym, pool and moorings.