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Date of photo: 1990s	Picture source: Roger Driscoll
The Helton Inn had a long garden, that ran down to the main road between Bampton and Askam, in the Eden Valley. It was well-frequented by locals, who could play darts, cribbage etc. It had a huge boost to its trade, from tourists, when Haweswater dried up to reveal the remains of the lost village of Mardale, in the 1980s. It was then run by Ian and Gael Esplin and is now in residential use.
Source: Rosalind Preston
From about 1985 to 2000 the Helton Inn was run by the Esplin family - Ian, Gael and their children Gunn and Nicole. Famous for Gael's cuisine, Buchanan's Ale and Ian's repartee. Customers included David Blunkett MP and William Lowther, son of the Earl of Lonsdale. The Inn was sold to a brewery who put a manager in, but this didn't work out so planning was passed to sell the pub as a private residence.
Roger Driscoll (December 2025)
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