Belle Isle (Windermere)

Belle Isle is the largest of 18 islands on Windermere, a mere in the English Lake District,^[1] and the only one ever to have been inhabited.^[1] It is 1 km in length.

It is rumoured that in Roman times a villa was once built on the island, with a possible connection to the Roman fort at Ambleside.^[2] In 1250 it was the seat of the district's Lord of the Manor.^[1] It was also a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War.^[1]

Island House was built in 1774 to designs by John Plaw. It is unusual in that it is circular in plan, built of brick, three floors high with a four column portico; it draws closely on the Pantheon, Rome.^[3] The house was sold along with the island to the wealthy Curwen family who renamed the island after their daughter, Isabella.^[1] It was then sold on to Isabella Curwen by her family in 1781 for £1,720 and was permanently renamed after her.^[4] The descendants of Isabella and her husband John Christian Curwen lived on the island until 1993.^[1]

It is called 'Bell Island'^[1][4] not 'Isabella Island' because of use of the shortened form of Isabella- Bella, which lost the 'a' to become 'Bell', spelt 'Belle' by the Ordnance Survey map of 1925 over the years. It was known locally as the Great Island or Long Holme^[1][4] and formerly known as Longholm, before its renaming in 1774.^[1]

In 1996 (some records suggest 23 December 1994), Belle Isle House suffered serious damage following a large fire. However, it was repaired and is once again a place of residence.^[5]