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Wherever you are in Cumbria and the Lake District you can feel the shadow of a deep cultural heritage. Here are the standing stones and circles of the ancients, the powerful traces of Rome and the mighty fortresses of the Normans. The history of the Vikings, the Angles and the Saxons is read in the names they left behind, including fell, dale, beck, ghyll, mere, tarn and howe.
Later arrivals came not to conquer but to bask in the beauty of the landscapes and let it inspire them to artistic greatness: William Wordsworth, John Ruskin, Beatrix Potter, JMW Turner, Kurt Schwitters and Andy Goldsworthy are just a few of the names who carved their creativity out of Cumbrian stone; today, a rich creative life builds on this exceptional heritage.
You can see it and feel it within a few short miles; the artworks in mountains and forests, the scores of galleries and artists’ studios, the packed programme performances and festivals – not just music and comedy but wool, print and ceramics. It's the intimate venues and outdoor stages in stunning settings that make a cultural break here something unique.
For a taste of the art and culture waiting for you in England’s best-known landscape explore the sections below and at www.lakesculture.co.uk.
Three stone circles and two smaller settings of boulders 12' across. Inside one of the circles was…
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known and…
Caught in the Anglo Scottish wars of the 14th century, a good bit of luck followed the Dissolution…
The 15 stones, of which the tallest is just under one metre, form an almost perfect circle some 40…
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural…
Today, the principal feature is the Goggleby Stone, a 12 ton monolith, which was re-erected in 1975…
A real Lakeland hidden treasure set in the beautiful village of Troutbeck, this 17thC solid stone…
Right in the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale,the beautiful Norman church sits above the River Lune with…
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows,…
A masterpiece of storytelling; 350 years of social history and a celebration of life, revolutions…
St Peter’s, the oldest site of worship in the old county of Westmorland and the building we see…
The award-winning Lakes Distillery Company opened in December 2014 in The Lake District National…
This ‘hidden gem’ is the earliest known surviving example of a small English parish church designed…
Home to the Hasell family since 1679, visitors to Dalemain will discover a fascinating combination…
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea…
This area is rich in prehistoric remains including a standing stone, stone circle and cairns. Moor…
The mainly 15thC remains of a castle begun by Bishop Strickland of Carlisle and developed by the…
Striking in its symmetry with its central round headed doorway between by matching round headed…
A stunning Elizabethan mansion with spectacular interiors and impressive collections of antiques. …
Imagine leaving the heart of Whitehaven's historic port and being taken back in time to an exotic…
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a…
Dominating the Lake District Coast where the mountains tumble into the sea and bursting with…
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art…
Swarthmoor Hall is a 17th century, Grade II* listed country house. It is known as the cradle of…
Wherever you are in Cumbria the history of the Vikings, the Angles and the Saxons is read in the names they left behind
Number of results: 117
, currently showing 41 to 60.
Penrith
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and restoration.
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
134 reviewsBoot, Holmrook
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations. This charming site embodies the Lake District’s heritage. It is the last remaining working water-powered corn mill in the Lake District.
Keswick
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles with the mountain of Helvellyn as a dramatic backdrop.
SEDBERGH
Situated in the beautiful valley of Dentdale, Cumbria yet within the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this Grade II building was originally built as a meeting house by the Society of Friends in 1701.
SEDBERGH
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from 1130, is a haven of peace.
GRANGE-OVER-SANDS
St. Peter's is an outstanding example of the decorated style of architecture, with its warm red sandstone and distinctive shingled spire and clay tiled roof, an unusual feature in the Lake District.
WIGTON
Caught in the Anglo Scottish wars of the 14th century, a good bit of luck followed the Dissolution of the Monasteries for this church, when the local people successfully petitioned Thomas Cromwell to allow them to continue to use the church.
KESWICK
The church is situated centrally in Keswick and stands out by virtue of its tall spire. The site for this church commands superb views of the surrounding Lakeland hills.
Ulverston
The Laurel and Hardy Museum celebrates the life and career of Stan Laurel, born in Ulverston.
Penrith
Second largest circle in England - 360' diameter. Long Meg is an outlying stone and is decorated with concentric circle - late Neolithic or early Bronze Age (c2000 or earlier).
Barrow-in-Furness
Now a ruin, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful Cistercian monastery in Britain, after Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
Penrith
Three stone circles and two smaller settings of boulders 12' across. Inside one of the circles was a series of cremations, one in a collared urn.
Kendal
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of Kendal, Cumbria, in northern England.
Windermere
A real Lakeland hidden treasure set in the beautiful village of Troutbeck, this 17thC solid stone and slate house sits imposingly on the hillside, its huge chimneys typical of the area.
KIRKBY STEPHEN
Entered from the Market Square through handsome cloisters built in 1810, the parish church stands on the site of a Saxon church and contains many ancient relics.
Penrith
A tranquil haven with an almost-forgotten industrial past. Walled garden with outstanding medicinal and culinary herb collection and orchards, woodland walks to a restored watermill.
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367 reviewsPENRITH
According to architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner, this is ‘the stateliest church of its time in the county’, rebuilt in 1720 on an ancient site
APPLEBY-IN-WESTMORLAND
St Lawrence's church is a grade I listed building, of late 12th century foundation, rebuilt late 13th after a raid by the Scots, restored 16th by Lady Anne Clifford, followed by two rounds of 19th century internal remodelling.
BRAMPTON
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner and the only church designed by preRaphaelite architect Philip Webb.
CARLISLE
This ‘hidden gem’ is the earliest known surviving example of a small English parish church designed by ‘God’s Architect’ Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The church retains all of its original elaborate architectural features, fittings and furniture,…
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