Sharrow Bay Country House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sharrow Bay Country House |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1948 |
| City | Ullswater / Pooley Bridge, Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Website | www.sharrowbay.co.uk |
Sharrow Bay Country House was a famous hotel and restaurant. It was located on the eastern shore of Ullswater lake, near Pooley Bridge in Cumbria, England. It's well-known for being the place where the delicious sticky toffee pudding was supposedly invented!
Sadly, Sharrow Bay officially closed in September 2020. It had been shut since March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Contents
The Early Days of Sharrow Bay
A man named Anthony Parkin built Sharrow Bay around 1840. He was born in 1803. His father, Hugh Parkin, built another nearby house called Skirsgill House.
When Anthony's father passed away in 1838, Anthony inherited some money. Two years later, he used it to build his beautiful mansion by Ullswater.
A Bachelor's Paradise
Anthony Parkin never married, but he had many friends who visited him. Some of them wrote about how lovely his home was.
Llewellynn Jewitt, a famous illustrator, said that Sharrow Bay was "one of the most glorious and lovely spots" on the lake. He thought Anthony had made it very attractive and filled it with amazing art.
Another visitor, Charles West Cope, called it a "perfect bachelor's palace." He said it had:
- Anthony's own wood carvings
- A great library (a room full of books)
- An excellent garden with flowers and fruits
- A boat-house with a nice boat
Anthony was a very talented man. His friends said he would often take them out on the lake in his boat.
Art and Friendship
Anthony Parkin became quite wealthy and was very interested in art. Jacob Thompson, a famous artist, was a close friend. He often visited Anthony at Sharrow Bay.
In 1850, Jacob Thompson painted two pictures of Ullswater from the house. One of these paintings is shown here.
Sharrow Bay as a Hotel
In 1948, an advertisement appeared in a newspaper for a mansion by Ullswater. It had 12 acres (about 48,500 square meters) of land and beautiful gardens from the 1840s. A man named Francis Coulson bought it.
With help from his friends, Francis opened the hotel in the spring of 1948. It started with just four bedrooms. He was the first person to use the phrase "country house hotel" to describe a place like this.
A Famous Partnership
In 1952, Francis was joined by Brian Sack. They worked together to run the hotel for the rest of their lives.
Sharrow Bay is famous for being the place where Sticky toffee pudding was supposedly invented in the 1970s.
Since 1967, Sharrow Bay was part of the Relais & Chateaux Association. This group includes small, special hotels run by their owners. From 2003, it was part of the Von Essen Hotels group. In 2008, the restaurant had one star in the important Michelin Guide, but it lost the star in 2012.
About Francis Coulson
Francis Coulson was born in Bedford, England, on June 6, 1919. He passed away in Ullswater, Cumbria, on February 20, 1998.
During the Second World War, Francis was a conscientious objector. This means he chose not to fight in the war because of his beliefs. Instead, he helped by preparing 300 meals a day for an organization called Toc H.
A Passion for Food
In 1948, with help from his father, Francis bought Sharrow Bay. He took lessons to learn how to make pastries. He loved making tricky croissants and brioches, as well as scones and cakes.
One of his favorite desserts was called La Stupenda Bavarois. He named it after a famous opera singer, Dame Joan Sutherland.
With his partner Brian Sack, Francis created the very first Country House Hotel. Sharrow Bay was named "Hotel of the Year" in 1974 by the Egon Ronay Guide. It was also "Restaurant of the Year" in 1980. Francis was honored with an award called Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1994.
About Brian Sack
Brian George Sack was born in London on January 29, 1923, and he passed away in 2002.
He served in the Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1945. After the war, he became a qualified surveyor. He worked for the Ministry of Works.
Later, he trained at another hotel. In 1952, he met Francis Coulson and moved to Sharrow Bay. Brian was also honored with an award called Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1994. He received this award for all the charity events held at the hotel.
