Storrs Hall

Storrs Hall is a historic hotel and country-house property on the eastern shore of Windermere at Storrs in the Lake District, Cumbria, England. The central building is a Georgian mansion, generally dated to the 1790s, and is recognized as a Grade II* listed structure. Its setting combines a lakeside position, landscaped grounds, woodland, and views across one of the Lake District’s best-known lakes. The wider estate covers approximately seventeen acres. A notable feature associated with the property is the Temple, a small folly standing at the end of a stone jetty on Windermere. The Temple is owned by the National Trust, while Storrs Hall itself operates as a hotel. The house was first built for Sir John Legard, a Yorkshire landowner. Legard retained the property for about fourteen years, but worsening health, including severe gout, led to its sale in 1804. It was then acquired by John Bolton, a wealthy Lancashire-born merchant whose fortune came from Liverpool commerce, including participation in the transatlantic slave trade. Bolton expanded the mansion and developed its park, turning Storrs Hall into a prominent private residence and a setting for elaborate hospitality. He held regattas on Windermere that attracted notable literary and public figures, including William Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott. The estate remained connected with the Bolton family after John Bolton’s death. His wife, Elizabeth Bolton, died in 1848, after which the property passed to her nephew, the Reverend Thomas Staniforth. Staniforth moved into Storrs Hall in 1859 after retiring from parish work and lived there until his death in 1887. Because he had no children, the estate was subsequently sold in separate lots, ending the period in which the hall functioned as a private family seat. During the twentieth century, the building had several institutional uses. It had previously served as a girls’ school and later as a youth hostel. Between 1940 and 1944, during the Second World War, Storrs Hall accommodated the staff and pupils of St Hugh’s School, Woodhall Spa, whose Lincolnshire premises were evacuated because of their proximity to airfields. This wartime use forms part of the property’s later social history. Today, Storrs Hall is presented as a four-star hotel rather than as a private residence or educational institution. Its appeal is based on the combination of historic architecture, lake access, gardens and woodland, and its location within the Lake District. The property is also associated with literary and artistic representations of Windermere. An illustration of the hall appeared in Fisher’s Drawing Room Scrap Book in 1832, accompanied by a poem by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. The accompanying commentary recalled the house’s connection with Colonel John Bolton and stated that former Prime Minister George Canning had withdrawn there from public affairs. No current owner, operating group, executive team, or official hotel website is identified in the supplied reference material.

Storrs Hall began as a Georgian country house built in the 1790s for Sir John Legard, a Yorkshire landowner. After approximately fourteen years, Legard sold the property in 1804 as his health deteriorated. The purchaser, John Bolton, was born in Ulverston in 1756 and became a wealthy Liverpool merchant. Historical accounts identify his wealth as deriving in part from the slave trade, a significant and troubling aspect of the estate’s ownership history. Bolton enlarged the mansion and laid out a park, establishing Storrs Hall as a substantial private estate on Windermere. He used the house for conspicuous hospitality and organized regattas on the lake. These gatherings drew prominent visitors, including the poets William Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott. The property’s association with literary culture was later reinforced by its appearance in an 1832 illustrated publication, where an image of the hall was paired with verse by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. The same commentary referred to Colonel John Bolton and to George Canning’s retreat there from the pressures of public life. After Elizabeth Bolton died in 1848, the hall passed to her nephew, the Reverend Thomas Staniforth. Staniforth was linked to a Liverpool family that included former lord mayors and merchants. He moved to Storrs Hall in 1859 after retiring from parish duties and remained there until his death in 1887. Since he had no children, the estate was broken up and sold in lots after his death. In the twentieth century, Storrs Hall’s use changed from private residence to institutional and hospitality functions. It was used at different times as a girls’ school and a youth hostel. From 1940 to 1944, the hall sheltered the staff and pupils of St Hugh’s School, Woodhall Spa, which had been evacuated during the Second World War because its Lincolnshire location was surrounded by airfields. The building is now a four-star hotel. Its historic fabric and setting have been preserved within a property of around seventeen acres of grounds and woodland. The hall is Grade II* listed, reflecting its architectural and historic importance. The grounds also include a lakeside stone jetty ending in the Temple, a folly owned by the National Trust. Storrs Hall’s present identity therefore combines conservation value, country-house history, literary associations, and commercial hospitality in the Lake District.

• 1940

  Used as an evacuated school

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Storrs Hall housed the staff and pupils of St Hugh’s School, Woodhall Spa, during the Second World War evacuation.

• 1887

  Estate sold in lots

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  After Staniforth died without children, the estate was divided and sold in separate lots.

• 1859

  Thomas Staniforth took up residence

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  After retiring from parish work, Staniforth moved into Storrs Hall and remained there until his death.

• 1848

  Estate passed to Thomas Staniforth

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Following Elizabeth Bolton’s death, ownership passed to her nephew, the Reverend Thomas Staniforth.

• 1832

  Featured in an illustrated literary publication

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  An image of Storrs Hall appeared in Fisher’s Drawing Room Scrap Book with an accompanying poem by Letitia Elizabeth Landon.

• 1804

  Property sold to John Bolton

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  After about fourteen years of ownership, Sir John Legard sold Storrs Hall to John Bolton.

• 1800

  Mansion and park expanded

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  John Bolton enlarged the house and developed its park, making the estate a prominent venue for private hospitality and Windermere regattas.

• 1790

  Georgian mansion built

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Sir John Legard commissioned or established the first Storrs Hall as a Georgian country house on the Windermere estate.

• Converted to hotel use

  [1]Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org

  At an undocumented date, the historic house became a four-star hotel and continues to operate as a lakeside hospitality property.

A heritage lakeside hotel positioned around Georgian architecture, Lake District scenery, historic grounds, and the atmosphere of a former country estate.

• Hotel accommodation

  Storrs Hall hotel accommodation

  The principal contemporary offering is accommodation in a historic Georgian mansion beside Windermere. The property operates as a four-star hotel, using the character of the listed house and its Lake District setting as central parts of the guest proposition. Detailed room categories and amenities are not identified in the supplied sources.

• Hospitality and leisure experience

  Storrs Hall grounds and lakeside setting

  The hotel is set within approximately seventeen acres of grounds and woodland on the shore of Windermere. The estate environment, including the lake frontage and historic landscape, functions as an important part of the visitor experience. The associated Temple folly stands at the end of a stone jetty and is owned by the National Trust.

1. 1Storrs Hallen.wikipedia.org