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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.
Windermere Jetty Museum is a vibrant, family-friendly visitor attraction dedicated to the boats,…
Standing proudly in the city it has dominated for nine centuries, Carlisle Castle remained a…
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events,…
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View…
A fine example of a Georgian church, which has been sympathetically modernised.
Historic house and gardens based on a medieval pele towers with substantial 17th, 18th and 19thC…
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it…
The present circle of 10 standing stones, 80' diameter, was restored in 1949. The stone circle is…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica…
A masterpiece of storytelling; 350 years of social history and a celebration of life, revolutions…
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art…
A visit to Dove Cottage today transports you back to this remarkable period of ‘plain living and…
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one…
Today, the principal feature is the Goggleby Stone, a 12 ton monolith, which was re-erected in 1975…
Cautley chapel was built in the early 1860s by the Upton family, when the London and North Western…
Swarthmoor Hall is a 17th century, Grade II* listed country house. It is known as the cradle of…
The church was designed by Edward Welby Pugin (son of Augustus Welby Pugin) and built between 1873…
Striking in its symmetry with its central round headed doorway between by matching round headed…
St. Peter's is an outstanding example of the decorated style of architecture, with its warm red…
The priory is one of the architectural jewels in Cumbria and well worth a visit. This beautiful and…
The church is situated centrally in Keswick and stands out by virtue of its tall spire. The site…
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from…
Discover 900 years of history and explore the tumultuous life of Carlisle Castle and its…
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 1 to 20.
Bewcastle, Carlisle
Castle open to public at all times. Church open to public dawn to dusk. Bewcastle Cross Shaft Anglo Saxon 7thC, beside church. Dates from 1361, east wall 12thC.
SEDBERGH
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known and loved by Friends all over the world.
ST. BEES
The priory is one of the architectural jewels in Cumbria and well worth a visit. This beautiful and historic church in the seaside village of St Bees, built in 1120, is all that remains of the original Priory, but it is a thriving and much loved…
Cockermouth
Step back in time to the 1770s and experience William and Dorothy Wordsworth’s childhood home. Whether you meet the maid-of-all-work or a knowledgeable 21st-century guide, you’re guaranteed a warm welcome.
Sedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
247 reviewsPENRITH
There has probably been a church in Great Salkeld since 880 AD, when the body of St Cuthbert was rested here after being brought from Holy Island. The Pele Tower was added in 1380, with an iron door for defence of the inhabitants against the Scots.
Ulverston
The Laurel and Hardy Museum celebrates the life and career of Stan Laurel, born in Ulverston.
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.
ULVERSTON
St Peter’s was built in 1874 designed by well known Lancashire firm of Paley and Austin and won an award for its design as a ‘mountain chapel’.
Millom
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one of them having contained a cremation.
Windermere
Windermere Jetty Museum is a vibrant, family-friendly visitor attraction dedicated to the boats, people and the rich history of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake.
CARLISLE
The 8th century, Anglo Saxon Bewcastle Cross, stands free in the churchyard where it has been for nearly 1500 years. The church is somewhat simpler and certainly younger, with some parts of it dating from 1277, although mostly it is from the…
Ambleside
Parkland and Gothic Revival castle sitting on the west shore of Windermere providing an impressive backdrop of turrets, towers, informal grounds and miles of lakeshore paths.
Penrith
Imagine coming to a ruined castle, walking through its gardens and into the woodlands and stumbling across one of the largest adventure playgrounds in the country. When you do this at Lowther, you have found the lost castle.
Keswick
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica graphite mine which would have served as the source of the pencil industry over three centuries ago.
Nr Seascale
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a low central cairn. The third is immediately north of the second, it is 24' across and also encloses a small cairn.
KESWICK
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and tranquillity, it can be traced back to the mid 16th century, although it was substantially refurbished in the 1840s.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house is a rare architectural gem in the heart of the Lake District and offers a perfectly preserved snapshot of early 20th-century living.
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
880 reviewsCARLISLE
The tranquility of St Andrew's church, set on the banks of the river Esk, belies the turbulence of its past. The church serves the scattered population in the rural parish of Kirkandrews on Esk, once the centre of the historic and lawless Debateable…
Newby Bridge
A unique combination of interrelated stories and a fascinating visitor experience.
Over 100 years of motoring history, the Campbell Bluebird exhibition, IOM TT tribute display and the Leven Valley heritage centre. Gift shop and Cafe Ambio.
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