The Swan Inn had it’s grand reopening today, Friday April 21, after 18 months of refurbishment.

The hotel in Grasmere was well attended after inviting local people to take a peak as they unveiled millions of pounds worth of investment.

The ribbon was cut by VIP Guest, Steve Watts MBE, who is a local fell runner known for his fundraising efforts, and breath taking photography.

Steve was the first person to scale Everest with a pacemaker and raised money for the first CT scanner for children in the North West, he takes pictures on his daily runs which were made into a book: A Year Like No Other.

At the moment, Steve is raising money for a little boy called Tony who has had both his legs amputated, using the Swan as a base camp, Tony is aiming to climb Loughrigg Fell in August.

The Swan is giving Tony a holiday for free, regardless of whether or not he is fit enough to climb Loughrigg his latest operation.

Pictures from Steve’s book of pictures are for sale downstairs

Steve said: “I first came through the door 40 years ago, I never thought I’d be back to cut the ribbon. When I came in my hair stood on end, just thinking about the 400 years of history held by this hotel. This is a refurbishment without compromise, its exciting times for the next generation of Lakeland lovers because it’s promoting this beautiful area.”

The Senior Communication Executive for The Swan Inn, Andrew Robson said: “Everything has changed, but The Swan has kept its character and history while making better use of the space.

“The renovation stripped the hotel back to its skeleton, then focused on opening it up and creating flow while maintaining the cosy spaces nestled in the corners.

“Today is about showing off, so we threw a grand re-opening event to try and to involve the whole village.”