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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.
A tranquil haven with an almost-forgotten industrial past. Walled garden with outstanding medicinal…
Stone circle is now incomplete and has a modern wall cutting through it, incorporating one stone.…
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one…
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View…
A stunning Elizabethan mansion with spectacular interiors and impressive collections of antiques. …
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with…
Cartmel Priory has been described as the medieval jewel among churches, making a lasting impression…
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it…
Grade I listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late medieval, vernacular Lake District…
The 8th century, Anglo Saxon Bewcastle Cross, stands free in the churchyard where it has been for…
A masterpiece of storytelling; 350 years of social history and a celebration of life, revolutions…
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles…
Originally know as Sunkenkirk, consists of 50 stones at the foot of Black Combe. Access is via a…
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
The mainly 15thC remains of a castle begun by Bishop Strickland of Carlisle and developed by the…
A unique and special cafe experience on board the replica Orient Express train and restored station…
Cautley chapel was built in the early 1860s by the Upton family, when the London and North Western…
Hardknott Roman Fort is one of the most dramatically sited and remote Roman forts in Britain. It…
Founded in 1504 and Grade I listed this peaceful church is tucked away on the Fell, surrounded by a…
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art…
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes.…
Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house is a rare architectural gem in the heart of the Lake District…
Second largest circle in England - 360' diameter. Long Meg is an outlying stone and is decorated…
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 101 to 117.
Kendal
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The Museum has a long history in Kendal Town and has occupied various sites but has been at its current location (previously a wool warehouse) since 1913.
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142 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…
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…
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.
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.
Cockermouth
A unique and special cafe experience on board the replica Orient Express train and restored station buildings, with a level-access path along the former platform and through woodland teeming with wildlife. Serving interesting and fresh cafe food,…
Kendal
A stunning Elizabethan mansion with spectacular interiors and impressive collections of antiques. Also home to the world's oldest topiary gardens, designed by Guillaume Beaumont, retain many original features. Cafe, Gift Shop and Plant Centre.
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706 reviewsMillom
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one of them having contained a cremation.
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.
Penrith
Today, the principal feature is the Goggleby Stone, a 12 ton monolith, which was re-erected in 1975 after it had fallen - some 3500 years after first being set on end.
Brampton
Standing close to Hadrian's Wall, this beautiful 13C church stands to its full height and remains remarkably well-preserved.
Finsthwaite, Lakeside
Nestled on the shores of Lake Windermere, this extensive working mill was begun in 1835 and produced millions of wooden bobbins, vital to the Lancashire spinning and weaving industries.
Hawkshead, Ambleside
Situated in the quaint Lake District Village of Hawkshead, the boys Grammar School gives insight into school life ever since it opened in 1585. William Wordsworth also attended the school from age 9 to 17 with his brothers.
Cumbria
Early 13thC castle, formidable barrier for Scots invaders, restored by the indomitable Lady Anne Clifford.
Middlegate, Penrith
Penrith and Eden Museum is an Accredited Museum, which aims to collect, preserve and display material reflecting the history and culture of the Penrith and Eden district.
Ambleside
Dating back to the 17th century, this unique building stands over Stock Beck in the middle of Ambleside as a quirky reminder of Ambleside’s past.
Rowrah
Situated on the western coast in the rural village of Rowrah, our beer is brewed with quality and consistency championing the highest quality of malts, whole cone hops and Lake District water, our in house yeast strain derived from traditional…
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