Alexander Scott, King Charles III’s Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, has visited Bolton School’s Patterdale Hall on the shores of Lake Ullswater, along with his wife Samantha Scott, who is the High Sheriff of Cumbria. Somewhat unusually both took up their positions earlier in the year, meaning that the couple simultaneously hold two of the most important positions representing the Crown in Cumbria. The pair visited Patterdale Hall to meet with current attendee Hannah Larn of the Rose Castle Foundation, Hall manager Timothy Taylor and Bolton School governor Tim Taylor, who is also Chair of the Scott Bolton Trust Management Committee.
Alexander is a trustee of the Scott Bolton Trust, which each year offers travel grants to Bolton School students and alumni aged 16-22 years. He is also a trustee of a grant-giving body established by his father Peter Scott, the Francis C Scott Charitable Trust, which targets youth disadvantage in Cumbria and North Lancashire. Alexander’s great-grandfather, Sir James Scott, who founded The Provincial Insurance Company, lived at Beech House in Bolton, which became the Infant School of Bolton School before it was knocked down and a Junior Girls’ School, Hesketh House, erected on the site. Francis Scott, Alexander's grandfather, went on to buy Patterdale Hall in 1934 before, donating large areas of land to the National Trust and selling it in the 1960s; his motivation being to protect the landscape from large scale development.
Timothy Taylor, Patterdale Hall’s Manager, commented: ‘It was a pleasure to welcome guests with so many connections to Bolton School to Patterdale. We had a lovely afternoon tea, reminiscing on the close links between the Scott family and Bolton School and discussing the work of the Rose Castle Foundation and the experience of the current residential party at Patterdale Hall. Members of their group had travelled from New York, Birmingham, Leicester and Cumbria to interact in a multi faith environment. The Rose Castle Foundation works with emerging leaders who are motivated by their faith and who are moving into positions of influence across societal divides. Their Emerging Peacemakers Programme has been running at Patterdale Hall for two years.'
