A HOUSING charity is spreading the word about an 18th century treasure hidden away down a Lake District drive.

Georgian mansion Calgarth Park, overlooking Windermere, houses 23 rented flats for retired professional people and is run by the Lake District Housing Association.

Later this year, the charity will reach a milestone the 20th anniversary of the day the first residents moved into the Grade ll-listed property.

The team of volunteers which manages Calgarth Park is keen to let more people know about the happy, active community of retired doctors, lawyers, teachers, architects even a cereal chemist and a nanny to a lord living at the bottom of the private drive at Troutbeck Bridge.

"Our residents are all very interesting," said Barbara Bellis, who chairs the house committee. "They've all got stories to tell. It's surprising what they've done in their lives."

Calgarth Park was built in 1789 by Richard Watson, the Bishop of Llandaff, a remarkable man who was educated at Heversham Grammar School. Many famous people visited him at Calgarth, including Wordsworth, De Quincey and Coleridge.

Around 1900, the property was bought by Oswald Hedley, who converted it into a hospital for wounded officers at the outbreak of the First World War. In peacetime, it became the Ethel Hedley Hospital for Children, and was eventually closed by the NHS in 1970.

The house was leased by the Lake District branch of the British Federation of University Women for use by retired professionals, and a housing association was formed with the first residents arriving in November 1973.

Housing association chairman Bill McCormack explained that today Calgarth Park had a paid staff of two housekeepers, a cook, handyman/gardener and cleaner. Hot lunches are served Monday to Friday; residents share a dining room, sitting room, library and laundry; there are taxi services into Windermere and Kendal; and the residents' gardening committee helps to care for the beautiful and extensive gardens at the back of the house. As flats

fall vacant, their kitchens

and bathrooms are being upgraded.

Residents are admitted between the ages of 55 and 80, and the eldest are now in their 90s. They furnish their own flats, and monthly rents vary from £361 to £712.

Traditionally, people have found out about Calgarth Park through word-of-mouth, or through friends, such as Betty Dobson, who moved into her flat after the death of her husband, Tony, who was a chorister for 70 years at St Mary's Church, Windermere.

"From the first day I came, I knew I should be here, and that it was right," said Mrs Dobson. "I'm just so happy here. It's great, I haven't a wrong word to say at all."

Retired domestic science teacher Rose Hughes and husband Ken, a former architect, also had friends at Calgarth. Their previous home in a hamlet near Kirkby Lonsdale had a large garden, and Mr Hughes thought it was "marvellous" that Calgarth had such wonderful gardens and glasshouses that could be enjoyed by the residents.

"It's very sociable," said Mr Hughes. "I recently lost my driving licence because I have cataracts, and we are never short of a lift."

Mrs Hughes added that

when she was poorly, everybody had rallied round: "What I feel is you have your independence yet there's help friendly help. It's a very close community."

Anybody wishing to find out more about living at Calgarth Park is invited to contact the tenancy secretary on 015394-43016.

May 22, 2003 16:00