The house and gardens that make up Brockhole on Windermere were designed and built in the 1890s. The landscape architect was Thomas Mawson, a local designer who later became a well-known figure in garden and landscape design.
For over 40 years "Brockhole" was the home of the Gaddum family who were related to Beatrix Potter. In the 1940s it became a convalescent home, and since 1965 it has been the main Visitor Centre for the Lake District National Park.
In the spirit of national parks, designated for “every class and kind’ to access the countryside, the Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole provides a great lakeside setting to enjoy days out. It has a range of adventure activities and watersports, whilst also restoring the kitchen gardens - with the produce supplying lunches and afternoon tea at The Gaddum restaurant.
Fashions and families have changed, but the enduring peace and beauty of the lake and the fells is still very much as it was in the old Gaddum black and white photographs:
