A leading Cumbrian gastropub has revealed its £250,000 plans to create two new guest suites.
The Black Bull in Sedbergh, recently listed as one of the UK’s top 50 gastropubs in the Estrella Damm awards, will restore and transform a stone cottage in its stable yard.
The Cottage will include a ground floor garden suite, sleeping up to four people, with a separate seating area, sunken bath in a contemporary en suite, as well as providing new external spaces and a ‘wildflower garden’ for guests to enjoy.
The upper floor with its double height roof space will reveal and celebrate a unique existing roof structure built from ancient ship’s timbers. Externally the suite will lead onto a new external wrap-around terrace complete with seating area.
Work is set to start in March.
The Cottage has been conceived by Patrick Thomas, founder of leading architectural practice and design studio Up North Architects, will follow on from the existing Japanese influences seen in the Black Bull itself. Which will see the contemporary and innovative design concepts Patrick has created taking their inspiration from aspects of Ryokan, traditional Japanese inns.
Originating in the eighth century, Ryokan can still be found dotted along many of the ancient pathways that crisscross Japan, such as the Tokaido route, which connects Kyoto to Edo, once the haunt of travelling samurai, provincial officials and traders.
Luxury furnishings will include deluxe king-sized beds made by Hypnos, draped in fabrics sourced from local artisan weaver Laura’s Loom, soft furnishings sourced from local suppliers, as well as artwork and ceramics from a variety of local artists and craftspeople, finished with bespoke carpets woven using Herdwick wool and natural dyes created by Wools of Cumbria Carpets.
A new landscaped garden and outdoor space will be created to provide a private haven for staying guests to separate the area from the existing Meadow Gardens.
The scheme will include traditional and contemporary Japanese planting, including seasonal plants and flowers such as flowering cherry trees as well as incorporating elements of dry landscape garden style karesansui, which expresses natural forms and elements as patterns made in gravel to portray in essence a landscape painting ‘sansui-ga.’
Completion of both The Cottage Suites and Gardens is expected in May 2023.
The Black Bull’s owners James Ratcliffe and Nina Matsunaga said: ”The Cottage represents a significant investment in the Black Bull and marks the next phase of our ambitious plans to realise the potential of the site as we gradually bring our vision to life. We have ambitious plans for the site going forward.”
