Belle Isle Round House with swans flying past misty day reflected in the lake
Belle Isle, formerly known as the Great Island, is the largest island on Windermere and the only one to be inhabited. Situated in the centre of the lake, with views of the villages of Ambleside and Bowness and the mountain ranges bounding the Troutbeck Valley, it was the seat of the Lord of the Manor of Windermere ml it passed into the possession of the local Philipson family. It was bought by a Mr. English in 1774 who instructed the architect John Plaw - later a leading master builder in Westminster who erected the church at Paddington and Montague House, Portman Square - to construct the unusual roundhouse. The construction of the house was not complete when Mr. English went bankrupt and sold the house and island for £1,720 to Isabella Curwen after whom it was then named. The descendants of Isabella and her husband John Christian Curwen lived on the island until 1993.
Size: 3366px × 5050px
Location: Lake Windermere English Lake District Cumbria Northern England Great Britain United Kingdom UK GB
Photo credit: © Gordon Shoosmith / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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