Derwent Island Boathouse

Following damage to the boathouse during Storm Desmond, we were appointed as Civil and Structural Engineers for the design of the replacement structure. We were responsible for obtaining the necessary permits. Design work included the boathouse structure and internal piers.

Client: The National Trust

  • Derwent Island is one of only two inhabited islands in the Lake District; it is the only one which can be visited by the public. It has a continuous history of occupation since the 16th century with several distinct phases including as a settlement for German miners in Elizabethan times.

    The team collaborated with the island residents, the designers and the Lake District National Park Authority to come up with a new design which was not only functional, but which would enable far more of the significant view of the island to be visible from Keswick Landings. This higher standard of design is much more in keeping with the special nature of Derwent Island and its role in the cultural landscape of the World Heritage Site.

  • Tweddell & Slater were commissioned by The National Trust to replicate the three bay structure of the original 19th century boathouse with a functional alternative following structural damage during Storm Desmond in 2015. The architectural style of the steel structure, with its open lattice supports, is reminiscent of 19th century engineering principles that would have been visible from the Keswick foreshore, and allows far more of the island to be visible from Keswick landings.

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