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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.
St Mary's has been an important religious site since the 8th century.
The church is situated centrally in Keswick and stands out by virtue of its tall spire. The site…
This ‘hidden gem’ is the earliest known surviving example of a small English parish church designed…
Circle has a diameter of 60' and stands on a flattened mound or platform. There are 20 uprights,…
Hardknott Roman Fort is one of the most dramatically sited and remote Roman forts in Britain. It…
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a…
The 8th century, Anglo Saxon Bewcastle Cross, stands free in the churchyard where it has been for…
Striking in its symmetry with its central round headed doorway between by matching round headed…
Caught in the Anglo Scottish wars of the 14th century, a good bit of luck followed the Dissolution…
A playful environment filled with vibrant colours, ambient sounds and digital creatures, inspired…
St Lawrence's church is a grade I listed building, of late 12th century foundation, rebuilt late…
12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian’s Wall and where King Edward I…
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games…
Several stone circles and many small cairns are visible on the moor. The circles are distinguished…
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from…
According to architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner, this is ‘the stateliest church of its time…
Welcome to Lakeland's oldest, longest and most scenic railway! La'aL Ratty, the little Cumbrian…
Second largest circle in England - 360' diameter. Long Meg is an outlying stone and is decorated…
The church, dedicated to the Celtic Saint Bega, is situated in a picture perfect setting in fields…
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea…
A magical indoor attraction that brings to life all 23 Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit tales. Meet…
Carlisle Brewing Co is a small, family-run brewery based in Cumbria's capital city. We make beer…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
Penrith and Eden Museum is an Accredited Museum, which aims to collect, preserve and display…
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: 119
, currently showing 81 to 100.
AMBLESIDE
This church is well known because of its associations with the great Romantic poet William Wordsworth, who lived in nearby Dove Cottage and is buried in the churchyard.
Embleton
The 15 stones, of which the tallest is just under one metre, form an almost perfect circle some 40 metres in diameter. Only 15 stones of the original 30 remain.
Ulverston
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows, Romano-British farmsteads.
GRANGE-OVER-SANDS
Founded in 1504 and Grade I listed this peaceful church is tucked away on the Fell, surrounded by a graveyard rich with wildflowers, the interior contains unusual box pews, a triple decker pulpit and stained glass both ancient and modern.
Workington
Stone circle is now incomplete and has a modern wall cutting through it, incorporating one stone. Eleven others survive, some only a few inches high.
Whitehaven
Imagine leaving the heart of Whitehaven's historic port and being taken back in time to an exotic tropical island's rainforest in the Caribbean, that is just the start of your great adventure in The Rum Story.
PENRITH
The 'Old Church' of St Martin was built in the 1660's on the site of a probable earlier chapel dating from 1220. The church is fully open and much visited, with all entries in the visitor’s book remarking on the special atmosphere and sense of peace…
SEDBERGH
Cautley chapel was built in the early 1860s by the Upton family, when the London and North Western Railway was building its Ingleton branch and sent a Scripture Reader to the navvies.
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…
Brampton
Birdoswald Roman Fort is the perfect place to see the longest continuous remaining stretch of this World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall. Explore the remains of the Roman fort and discover displays, artefacts and rest in the Tearoom.
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.
Keswick
The church, dedicated to the Celtic Saint Bega, is situated in a picture perfect setting in fields on the east shore of Bassenthwaite Lake.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
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322 reviewsPenrith
The stream which flows over Aira Force is Aira Beck, which rises on the upper slopes of Stybarrow Dodd at a height of 720 metres and flows north-easterly before turning south, blocked by the high heather-covered slopes of Gowbarrow Fell.
Barrow-in-Furness
Now a ruin, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful Cistercian monastery in Britain, after Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
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.
PENRITH
According to architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner, this is ‘the stateliest church of its time in the county’, rebuilt in 1720 on an ancient site
SEDBERGH
Striking in its symmetry with its central round headed doorway between by matching round headed windows, Cautley Wesleyan chapel is a good example of its type and date.
Staveley
The beer hall is the Brewery Tap, sampling room, visitors centre and beer shop. it is a fully licensed bar which looks down onto the brew house.
Crosby-on-Eden
Whether you see yourself as an aviation enthusiast or simply a curious explorer, Solway Aviation Museum has something to offer. Based on the site of RAF Crosby-on-Eden, a former WWII fighter base, the museum has been painstakingly created by a team…
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