Acquisition of Waterhead Hotel at Ambleside

On 1 July 1975, we purchased the Waterhead Hotel at Ambleside, extending the English Lakes business around Windermere. The acquisition came three years after Michael Berry joined the family business and the year after he became Managing Director. Situated at Waterhead at the northern end of Windermere, the hotel became a long-standing part of our Lake District portfolio. We went on to own and manage Waterhead for more than 45 years, during which the property underwent substantial changes, including its later redevelopment from a 27-bedroom, two-star hotel into a 41-bedroom, four-star property. The 1975 purchase established English Lakes in Ambleside and added another lakeside property to the family's hotel interests alongside Low Wood. Waterhead remained under our ownership until its sale to The Inn Collection Group in 2021.