A Lake District inn has reopened after a multi-million-pound refurbishment.
North East chain the Inn Collection Group bought The Swan at Grasmere and has revamped the venue over 18 months.
Built originally in the 1650s, it was once the local of poet William Wordsworth and featured in his 1806 composition The Waggoner.
Now the chain says the inn is ready for its next chapter and with a nod to its history, has a chair reputedly used by Wordsworth while enjoying flagons of ales at his local.
The Swan Inn’s bedrooms have also been revamped and the pub will reopen with general managers Nellie Bolton and Nigel Brown at the helm.
Nellie said: “We’re so pleased to be back open and welcoming guests. It has been a long time since The Swan last had the buzz of making people happy but when they see what has been done in the refurbishment, I’m sure they will agree it has been worth the wait.
“With the doors reopening as the Easter holidays begin, we hope that the many visitors to Grasmere will pop in to pay us a visit and that those from the village will, as in Wordsworth time, make use of The Swan as part of the community.”
Operations manager Paul Brown said: “Everyone involved with this refurbishment can be very proud of what they have achieved. The Swan has a new air of vitality and there is something suitably poetic that it has reopened just as spring is arriving in the Lake District.
“Grasmere is a beautiful village and alongside The Wordsworth Hotel, The Inn Collection Group now has two stunning venues open and ready to help people make the most of their time here, be they visitors or locals.”
Open as of lunchtime on Monday, The Swan will enjoy a gala opening on Friday April 21, when Steve Watts MBE, a renowned fell runner and Grasmere resident will cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the inn’s return.
The man behind Lakeland Walks and Talks and the book A Year Like No Other, a photo journal which contains more the 350 images taken from the Lakeland fells during the COVID 19 pandemic, will also host a guided walk for guests staying at The Swan on April 22.
