On our way up to Ambleside on Tuesday, we had some time to spare, so decided to make a visit to Brockhole. The house is no longer open to the public, but the gardens are beautiful, as is the view of the Lake Windermere. We sat in the gardens, drinking a delicious coffee from Joey's, enjoying the view of the beautifully proportioned house.
Brockhole House was built at the end of the 19th Century, as a holiday home for a wealthy silk merchant William Gaddum and his wife Edith (née) Potter, cousin to Beatrix Potter. The house was designed by architect Dan Gibson, with stunning gardens created by the renowned landscape designer Thomas Mawson. Brockhole is one of the lesser known Arts & Crafts treasures of Cumbria.
William Gaddum couldn’t have selected a better plot of land for his "summer house". Set high on the terraced gardens, the house has spectacular views of Windermere and Langdale Pikes, Pike of Stickle and Harrison Stickle beyond.
Designers Gibson and Mawson proved to be a perfect partnership. Mawson saying, “Gibson was entirely responsible for the design of the house… while I arranged the terraces, gardens, entrance drives and plantations”. Together they created a perfect example of an Arts & Crafts house and garden – a home integrated harmoniously and beautifully in its environment.
