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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.
The mainly 15thC remains of a castle begun by Bishop Strickland of Carlisle and developed by the…
With a history dating back over a thousand years, Holy Trinity is one of the largest parish…
Sizergh boasts 800 years of family history, and is filled with thousands of fascinating items…
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
St. Peter's is an outstanding example of the decorated style of architecture, with its warm red…
Described by Nicholas Pevsner as “one of the architectural sensations of Cumberland.” The present…
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows,…
Cowgill church is a welcoming haven for walkers, cyclists and other visitors, sitting on the Dales…
Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart…
The 'Old Church' of St Martin was built in the 1660's on the site of a probable earlier chapel…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
Windermere Jetty Museum is a vibrant, family-friendly visitor attraction dedicated to the boats,…
St Mary and St Michael's church is said to have very early origins, as 9th and 10th century richly…
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century…
Come and walk up the aisle of our beautiful and peaceful church and learn about the lives of the…
Enjoy your perfect Lake District day out at Wordsworth Grasmere. Discover the home of William…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Three stone circles and two smaller settings of boulders 12' across. Inside one of the circles was…
Situated on what was once the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line, Bassenthwaite Lake…
Cautley chapel was built in the early 1860s by the Upton family, when the London and North Western…
Come and visit our brewery to find out more about us and the beers we make. Only a 2 minute walk…
Originally know as Sunkenkirk, consists of 50 stones at the foot of Black Combe. Access is via a…
Step into The Vault and unlock the history of Kirkby Lonsdale through this interactive, and free to…
A spectacular Gothic ruin set in 130 acres of ancient and romantic Gardens, award-winning Lowther…


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: 144
, currently showing 1 to 20.
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.
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.
Keswick
Crosthwaite Church has a long history and it is thought that Christians have worshipped on this site for nearly 1500 years. The present church was built in 118, with many interesting elements dating from the 12th to the 16th century. This church is…
Sedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
Workington
Lamplugh church, designed by William Butterfield, is located in a dramatic landscape on an elevated site, set against the outlying fells of the Lake District National Park with Owsen and Blake Fells beyond.
CARNFORTH
Right in the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale,the beautiful Norman church sits above the River Lune with commanding views from the churchyard.
Ravenglass
One of the largest surviving Roman structures in England, about 40 feet by 90 feet with walls over 12 feet high, and containing everything from hot saunas to cold baths.
Brampton
Set in a tranquil rural landscape, overlooked by Hadrian's Wall, Lanercost Priory forms a magnificent and fascinating complex of historic buildings. St Mary’s sits in the former nave of the Priory, an Augustinian monastery founded in 1169.
CARLISLE
A local landowner, Sarah Losh (1785-1853), designed St Mary's in 1840, partly in memory of her sister and parents. Influenced by the architecture seen on her Grand Tour of Europe, she created an original design that was very much at odds with the…
SEDBERGH
Situated in the beautiful valley of Dentdale, Cumbria yet within the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this Grade II building was originally built as a meeting house by the Society of Friends in 1701.
GRANGE-OVER-SANDS
St. Peter's is an outstanding example of the decorated style of architecture, with its warm red sandstone and distinctive shingled spire and clay tiled roof, an unusual feature in the Lake District.
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.
Millom
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one of them having contained a cremation.
WHITEHAVEN
A fine example of a Georgian church, which has been sympathetically modernised.
Nr. Penrith
Brougham Hall is a 14th Century Fortified ruin home to a variety of working craft units, a cafe, both a gin distillery and a brandy distillery.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Standing at the centre of the town of Bowness-on-Windermere, this Grade I listed church boasts medieval architecture, awe-inspiring stained glass windows, and a long and varied history spanning over 800 years. The earliest records of a church at…
Penrith
Home to the Hasell family since 1679, visitors to Dalemain will discover a fascinating combination of history, architecture and family which is both a Cumbrian and national story. Dalemain is an award-winning delight and is part of the UNESCO World…
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
SEASCALE
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
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.
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