Welcome to The Royal at Dockray

We have moved - please visit our new website: www.royaldockray.co.uk

The Royal at Dockray is a family run Traditional Country Hotel offering the best of Cumbrian Hospitality. The Hotel nestles peacefully amongst the Lake District Fells and is situated about one mile from the shores of Ullswater and Aira Force. The renowned restaurant proudly serves local pruduce and our friendly Cumbrian bar boasts a fine selection of Real Ale, Malts and Wines.

The Royal is conveniently situated for touring and visiting the Lake District, being only 10 miles from the market town of Penrith with it's shops, museum and markets. In the other direction, over the Kirkstone Pass, are the wonderful worlds of Beatrix Potter and Wordsworth in nearby Windermere or Ambleside. Keswick is only half an hours drive to the West.

Its all in the name ...

The Royal Hotel at Dockray dates back over 500 years. Legend has it that Mary Queen of Scots stopped at the Cross Keys (as the Royal Hotel was known then) on 13th July 1568. Lowther Castle was her first overnight stop on her journey to Bolton Castle, and Sir Francis Knollys, when planning her journey noted, 'for that house is twenty miles in the land from Carlisle. 'It seems likely that a party of this size and importance would make a detour as Sir Francis Knollys and Sir Henry Scrope, who were responsible for her, were very anxious to avoid any confrontation with the local Catholic population and would have wished her progress to be as unobtrusive as possible.

The Cross Keys was originally a farmhouse and there was a forge to the side of the old bar where the present sitting area is, and on the other side of the old bar there was a barn and then the stables and carriage houses.