An ambitious new hotel and community hub are in the pipeline for the Lowther Estate.
Plans have been submitted by Lowther Park Farms to turn disused agricultural buildings at Whale Farm, Whale, into a new hotel.
The property backs on to Lowther Castle’s grounds and it is hoped guests will park at the castle and cycle to the proposed hotel which will provide small, affordable rooms for young families.
Following a virtually identical proposal approved three years ago which was not implemented, the current application is essentially renewing permission and is very likely to be accepted according to the Lake District National Park Authority.
Plans were delayed due to COVID so are still in their infancy, with work not expected to be finished until 2025.
Lowther Park Farms is currently looking for a hospitality industry-savvy partner to assist in the development.
Totalling around 500 square metres, the horseshoe shaped hotel will be situated in open countryside alongside other farm buildings.
David Bliss, director of the project, said: “We’re just keeping our options open. At the end of the day, they’re just redundant farm buildings at the moment. It will be a small, low-key hotel that will be as sustainable as possible and not intrusive for the local community.
“We’ve been incredibly busy this summer at the castle and hope to build on this.
“The hotel will be linked via a cycle route to keep our carbon footprint low in the valley. We’ve done this with Arragon’s cycles in Penrith and their fleet of bikes for hire.”
The development comes in the midst of Lowther’s Camp Eden project, a pop-up camping experience designed from the same demographic as the hotel. Mr Bliss called it a success with another two weeks to go.
A community space is also being planned for Whale Farm’s old sheep sheds according to the Lowther Whole Estate Plan, a document devised with LDNPA to set out a long-term vision for the 850-year-old estate.
This would host workshops for locals to learn about traditional crafts and talks on environmental conservation. It would also provide a permanent home for the new tutor for the Ernest Cook Trust, who will be working with young people aged 14-24, facing barriers to employment on land-based subjects.
The LDNPA has predicted that visitor numbers will rise by four million over the next 20 years and attracting and retaining tourists in the area is a priority for both Lowther and the LDNPA.
Lowther has been designated as an attract and disperse location by the national park authority, meaning visitors can park there in order to get people out into the countryside.
