Browsing venues

Town End, Grasmere, Cumbria, LA22 9SH, Tel: 015394 35544, Email, www.wordsworth.org.uk

Discover William Wordsworth’s inspirational home.Take a guided tour of the cottage and explore the Wordsworth Museum & Art Gallery to find out more about the poet and his contemporaries. Special events run throughout the year.

Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8AD, Tel: 015394 41396, Email, www.brantwood.org.uk

Brantwood house is a registered museum. The 9 rooms that Ruskin used are open to the public. The Severn Studio presents a programme of quality art and craft exhibitions throughout the year.

Near Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LF, Tel: 015394 36269, Email, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hilltop

Hill Top is a time capsule of Beatrix Potter's life. Full of her favourite things, the cottage appears as if Beatrix had just stepped out for a walk. Every room contains a reference to a picture in a 'Tale'.

Levens, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 0PD, Tel: 015395 60321, Email, www.levenshall.co.uk

Levens Hall is an Elizabethan mansion built around a 13thC Pele tower. The much loved home of the Bagot family, visitors often comment on the warm and friendly atmosphere.

Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3JT, Tel: 015394 46139, Email, www.blackwell.org.uk

Blackwell is one of England's most important surviving houses from the turn of the 20thC. Designed by MH Baille Scott between 1898 and 1900, it is a superb example of arts and crafts movement.

Main Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 9RX, Tel: 01900 824805, Email, www.wordsworthhouse.org.uk

A visit to Wordsworth House and Garden is a unique opportunity to experience late 18th-century life at first hand.

Dalemain, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0HB, Tel: 017684 86450, Email, www.dalemain.com

Dalemain is a fine mixture of medieval, Tudor and early Georgian architecture. The imposing Georgian façade strikes the visitor immediately but in the cobbled courtyard the atmosphere of the north country Tudor manor is secure.

Hutton in the Forest, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9TH, Tel: 017684 84449, Email, www.hutton-in-the-forest.co.uk

Historic house based on a medieval pele tower with substantial 17th, 18th and 19thC additions. The house contains fine collections of furniture, ceramics, tapestry and portraits and is still a private residence.

Kirklinton, Carlisle, CA6 6BB, Tel: 016977 48292, Email, www.kirklintonhall.co.uk

Adjacent to the 12th Century de Boyville stronghold, Kirklinton Hall is said to have been built from its stone. Begun in the 1670’s, extended in the 1870’s and ruined in the 1970’s, the Hall has been a Restoration Great House and RAF base.

Cark in Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7PL, Tel: 015395 58328, Email, www.holker.co.uk

Victorian stately home, set in 25 acres of stunning gardens and ancient deer park. Holker has its own cafe, gift shop and food hall, and hosts an annual programme of special events.

Troutbeck, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LB, Tel: 015394 32628, Email, www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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.

Underskiddaw, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4QE, Tel: 017687 72287, Email, www.mirehouse.com

A family-run historic house with strong literacy connections in a fantastic setting. Live piano music and children's quiz in house. Four woodland playgrounds, lakeside and poetry walks in the grounds. Excellent tearoom specialising in Cumbr

Swarthmoor Hall Lane, Swarthmoor, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0JQ, Tel: 01229 583204, Email, www.swarthmoorhall.co.uk

Swarthmoor Hall is a 16th Century country house set in beautiful gardens and grounds in 130 acres of farmland.Visitors comment on its sense of place – of the people who have lived here, its tranquillity and beauty.

Swarthmoor Hall Lane, Swarthmoor, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0JQ, Tel: 01229 583204, Email, www.swarthmoorhall.co.uk

Swarthmoor Hall is a 16th Century country house set in beautiful gardens and grounds in 130 acres of farmland, with views to neighbouring fells and close to the bustling market town of Ulverston.

Grasmere, Cumbria, LA22 9QZ, Tel: 015394 35143, Email, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/grasmere

A National Trust experience like no other, Allan Bank is a place to relax in front of a warm fire with a cup of tea while the children play.