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Picture source: Will Larter

The Swan Hotel has now been converted to luxury self-catering holiday apartments.

In the late 1940s, before they were married, my parents began a lifelong association with The Lakes and with Bassenthwaite in particular. I have several black and white photographs of them, my uncle and their friends dressed in army surplus, with motorcycles, cars and a converted van, camping, fishing and shooting around the lake. When I eventually came along, in 1965, my own lifelong association began. The Swan Hotel was one of several Bassenthwaite pubs that I was taken to as a child, but it's the only one that no longer exists. For me, it was the quietest, most atmospheric and grandest of them all and had three unique features. First was the huge lawn at the front. Second was the hotel lounge, which was big, full of floral-patterned wing-backed chairs and cool on a hot day. Third was the tale of Bishop's Rock, also known as The Bishop - a whitewashed stone stack part way up the hillside on the opposite side of the road - which was clearly visible from the hotel. The tale, about a hubristic horseman and his ill-fated wager, was first recited to me, as a young boy, by the landlord of The Swan and so fascinated and haunted me that it's stayed with me to this day.

Roy Banks (June 2026)

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