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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.
Mirehouse is a beautiful family home in a breathtaking setting, welcoming visitors of all ages.…
Situated on the western coast in the rural village of Rowrah, our beer is brewed with quality and…
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it…
One of the oldest Methodist Churches in the world and possibly one of the most unique buildings…
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from…
A stunning Elizabethan mansion with spectacular interiors and impressive collections of antiques. …
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games…
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles…
Swarthmoor Hall is a 17th century, Grade II* listed country house. The Hall is regarded as the…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
Mount Zion Chapel was opened in 1876, the same year in which the Midland Railway Company opened the…
Dating back to the 17th century, this unique building stands over Stock Beck in the middle of…
Castle open to public at all times. Church open to public dawn to dusk. Bewcastle Cross Shaft Anglo…
This ‘hidden gem’ is the earliest known surviving example of a small English parish church designed…
Situated in the beautiful valley of Dentdale, Cumbria yet within the boundary of the Yorkshire…
One mile east of Orton is the ancient Gamelands stone circle. One of the largest in Cumbria, all of…
Penrith and Eden Museum is an Accredited Museum, which aims to collect, preserve and display…
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows,…
Steam trains running a seasonal daily service from Haverthwaite to Lakeside via the Leven valley.…
Today, the principal feature is the Goggleby Stone, a 12 ton monolith, which was re-erected in 1975…
Sizergh boasts 800 years of family history, and is filled with thousands of fascinating items…
A local landmark, the church is set on the end of a limestone ridge at the gateway to the Lake…
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural…
The church was designed by Edward Welby Pugin (son of Augustus Welby Pugin) and built between 1873…


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: 147
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Workington
In spite of the eclectic origins of its many parts, St Oswald's significance lies it its alterations and accumulation of features over time including Norman font and walls, 13th century windows, 15th century chancel and furniture by Thompson (the…
Carlisle
Said to be the resting place of the legendary King Arthur. The church of St Michael & All Angels is situated on a hill in the ancient parish of Arthuret and overlooks the market town of Longtown with fine views of the surrounding countryside.
KESWICK
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and tranquillity, it can be traced back to the mid 16th century, although it was substantially refurbished in the 1840s.
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.
Keswick
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles with the mountain of Helvellyn as a dramatic backdrop.
Sedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
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…
Coniston
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View the fully restored Bluebird craft in the Bluebird wing of the museum. Discover the mineral wealth of the fells, all at 'the most thought provoking…
Wigton
Described by Nicholas Pevsner as “one of the architectural sensations of Cumberland.” The present church is from about 1400 but there is ample evidence of an earlier Norman Church.
SEASCALE
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
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.
ULVERSTON
St Peter’s was built in 1874 designed by well known Lancashire firm of Paley and Austin and won an award for its design as a ‘mountain chapel’.
Ulverston
Steam trains running a seasonal daily service from Haverthwaite to Lakeside via the Leven valley. Licensed tea room, gift shop, engine shed, picnic area & playground.
Penrith
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century excavations produced a cremation.
Sedbergh
Cowgill church is a welcoming haven for walkers, cyclists and other visitors, sitting on the Dales Way in the the Yorkshire Dales National Park just a mile from the Settle Carlisle Railway and Dent Station.
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…
Ulverston
Step through a 12th century doorway into an oasis of calm where worship, history, wood and stones have tales to tell of the Mariners, merchants and a faithful community are celebrated in memorials and stained glass.
Ravenglass
La'aL Ratty, the little Cumbrian railway, is an award-winning heritage visitor attraction and Lake District icon, living up to its “must do” reputation for all ages. There are lots of things to do including shopping facilities, a museum,…
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).
Nr Kendal
Sizergh boasts 800 years of family history, and is filled with thousands of fascinating items collected by 26 generations of the Strickland family.
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