Sharrow Bay Country House 3.93

Sharrow Bay Country House is a hotel and restaurant located on the eastern shore of Ullswater near Pooley Bridge, Cumbria, England.Early historyAnthony Parkin built Sharrow Bay in about 1840. He was born in 1803 and was the son of Hugh Parkin who built Skirsgill House which is nearby. In 1838 his father died and Anthony inherited some money. Two years later he constructed his mansion house by Ullswater. He remained a bachelor all his life but had many visitors some of whom described his residence in their memoirs. Llewellynn Jewitt, a noted illustrator, said:"One of the most glorious and lovely spots on the banks of this lake is Sharrow Bay, the charming home of Mr. Anthony Parkin, whose pure taste has surrounded it with every accessory that can render it attractive, and filled it with a wealth of Art worthy of such a shrine. From here Ullswater is seen to wondrous advantage and its ever changing beauties can be thoroughly enjoyed." Charles West Cope in his reminiscences stated."It was a perfect bachelor's palace, filled with his own wood- carving, having a good library, and with an excellent garden of flowers and fruits, and a boat-house with a fine boat. He was a very accomplished man. In the afternoons he sculled us about on the lake." Anthony amassed considerable wealth and became very interested in art. Jacob Thompson, the famous artist, was a close friend and often visited him at Sharrow Bay. In 1850 Thompson painted two pictures of Ullswater from the house both of which are shown as black and white prints in his biography. One of these is shown here.History as a HotelIn 1948, the Manchester Guardian newspaper carried an advertisement for a mansion on the edge of Ullswater with 12acre of grounds and formal gardens dating back to 1840. It was purchased by Francis Coulson. With the help of friends he opened in the spring of 1948 with four bedrooms, and coined the phrase ‘country house hotel’ for the first time.