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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 unique combination of interrelated stories and a fascinating visitor experience. Over 100 years…
St Lawrence's church is a grade I listed building, of late 12th century foundation, rebuilt late…
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and…
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View…
Situated in the quaint Lake District Village of Hawkshead, the boys Grammar School gives insight…
Cautley chapel was built in the early 1860s by the Upton family, when the London and North Western…
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a…
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it…
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
Egremont Castle Park in the town of Egremont, offers 2.8 acres of beautiful green space that is…
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with…
Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart…
A tranquil haven with an almost-forgotten industrial past. Walled garden with outstanding medicinal…
According to architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner, this is ‘the stateliest church of its time…
Home to the Hasell family since 1679, visitors to Dalemain will discover a fascinating combination…
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known and…
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events,…
Family Day Out – Walk the lakeshore, hop on a boat cruise, or enjoy a picnic by the water while the…
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one…
Situated on the western coast in the rural village of Rowrah, our beer is brewed with quality and…


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: 146
, currently showing 1 to 20.
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.
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.
SEASCALE
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
Windermere
Family Day Out – Walk the lakeshore, hop on a boat cruise, or enjoy a picnic by the water while the kids keep watch for the creature. It’s a magical way to make a family walk or boat trip even more exciting. A Lake District Character – Bownessie…
Alston
The multi award winning South Tynedale Railway is situated in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Global Geopark.
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).
Grange-over-Sands
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with the warmth and welcome of a much loved family home. The hall is set in 25 acres of romantic formal & woodland gardens and ancient parkland, with the…
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.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
Ulverston
Come and join us at The Old Calf Shed for a behind-the-scenes look at our distillery, followed by a relaxed spirits tasting in our stylish visitor bar.
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.
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.
Brewery Lane, Keswick
Come and visit our brewery to find out more about us and the beers we make. Only a 2 minute walk from Keswick town centre, enjoy a beer where it’s brewed. Explore on a tour, visit our Brewery Shop, and relax in our Flying Fox Bar.
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.
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.
Kendal
A local landmark, the church is set on the end of a limestone ridge at the gateway to the Lake District National Park with beautiful views across the Kent Estuary to Morecambe Bay.
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.
CARLISLE
12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian’s Wall and where King Edward I (Longshanks) lay in state in the church for ten days in 1307.
Burgh by Sands is a very interesting church with layers of history.From the 12th century and on…
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
Penrith
The mainly 15thC remains of a castle begun by Bishop Strickland of Carlisle and developed by the Nevilles and Richard lll. Set in a municipal park opposite the railway station.
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