hotel history

The Damson Dene started life as a farm built by Mr "Pont" Pearson at the turn of the 20th century. He had lost his previous home in a drunken bet and built New House to replace it.

Its use as a public building started when Miss Jennie Holme opened the buildings as a hostel for the CTC (Cyclists' Touring Club). She called it the Damson Dene. At first, it was just for men, but when women started turning up they had to have a dormitory, too. The bicycles were housed in a wooden hut and the shippon became a girls' dormitory.

The Youth Hostel Association took over from the CTC in the 1960's, water was laid on, mainly for the expanding caravan sites across the road. In 1970 the YHA were still using it. Mr and Mrs Kershaw ran the hostel and advertised ham and eggs, served in a wooden hut cafe.

After the YHA it became a hotel and over the years the buildings were gradually extended and joined together. An indoor swimming pool and leisure complex were built. In the 1990s a dentist and his wife bought it. They only remained there for a short while. They applied to the planning authorities to turn the hotel into a school for gilrs, deprived of edicational opportunities. There was opposition to the plan locally and it was turned down.

It was some time later that the Methodist Holidays Association bought the hotel. In accordance with their rules it was teetotal, at first. They made a little rooom into a chapel, for religious services and the occasional wedding. The conference trade received a boost, when the hotel made history, by becoming the first Methodist establishment to serve alcohol.

In 2000 it was bought by local hoteliers Jonathan Denby and Margaret Nicholson and forms part of the small Lake District hotel chain, Lakeside Inns. The modest farmhouse has grown into a 40 bedroom, 3 star hotel and leisure centre.