Listing request for the home of Beatrix Potter's cousin

Built between 1898 and 1900 for wealthy Manchester silk merchant William Gaddum and his wife Edith Potter, cousin of Beatrix Potter, Brockhole is a significant feature in the Cumbrian landscape. Although unlisted, it stands within a Grade II-registered garden by Thomas Mawson, an internationally renowned landscape designer who worked with Dan Gibson, the architect of Brockhole, on several projects.

‘Brockhole is an asset to the Lake District National Park,’ said Alex Baldwin, Conservation Adviser of the Victorian Society. ‘It’s an attractive Arts and Crafts house with interesting associations to the family of one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors. With its Grade II-registered garden, it contributes a great deal to the setting of Lake Windermere.’

Yet the future of the house is far from secure: the Lake District National Park Authority is considering the options for site, with the preferred solution being to demolish Brockhole and build a new visitor centre in its place. This, despite a recent report putting forward a number of new uses that would allow for the retention of the building. The Victorian Society hopes that the historic and architectural importance of Brockhole will be enough to earn it listed status and protect the house from plans to knock it down.

‘The demolition of Brockhole would be a great shame,’ continued Alex Baldwin. ‘It would rob Windermere of one of its most attractive and historically interesting buildings. We want to see the house listed so that the significance of this intriguing and popular landmark is fully recognised and the plans to demolish it are written off once and for all.’