Bringing The Boat House back to life

The Boat House has stood unchanged since 1962. The time has come for this lake-side building, the site of many Cooper family celebrations, to enjoy a new lease of life. Here, we’ll be keeping you up-to-date with all the renovation work as we work to create a luxury self-catered accommodation that allows guests to soak up the peace and tranquillity of the surroundings, in line with our plans for further diversification.

Originally dammed in the early 1960s by the Cooper family, a move that was motivated by the family’s vision to see a six-acre lake created in the valley, the lake was established as a private fishery for the family to retreat to in the summer months as well as for private family parties and quiet evenings by the water. 

An early diversification project, the fly-fishing began to contribute towards the costs of maintaining the lake with the first syndicate group being set up in the 1990s. Its popularity grew and operations subsequently developed into Otby offering a day ticket fishery, which in turn gently grew in popularity.

Today, the lake is regularly stocked with brown and rainbow trout, with the aim of keeping the lake as the dry-fly fishery envisaged by previous generations of the Cooper family. That said, the future of The Boat House and the idea to turn it into a unique accommodation offering has long been talked about around the family table.

It has stood relatively unchanged since 1962, and the time has finally come for The Boat House to enjoy a new lease of life as the family’s plans for further diversification continue. 

With planning now having been secured, and an exciting scheme of work drawn up by local architects, we’ll be creating luxury self-catered accommodation that allows guests to soak up the peace and tranquillity of the surroundings. 

Taking inspiration from the original building and expanding it to double the size, when work has been completed guests will be able to enjoy a spacious living area and a bedroom. Think lazy mornings looking out over the lake, and cosy nights on the balcony area, spent dining on pizza from the brick oven and toasting marshmallows over the fire as the sun goes down.

We are really excited to see this area come to life and share it with new guests.

*Working side-by-side, the new accommodation will complement the trout fishery which will reopen once all building work has been completed.