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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.
Second largest circle in England - 360' diameter. Long Meg is an outlying stone and is decorated…
Hardknott Roman Fort is one of the most dramatically sited and remote Roman forts in Britain. It…
St Peter’s was built in 1874 designed by well known Lancashire firm of Paley and Austin and won an…
St Lawrence's church is a grade I listed building, of late 12th century foundation, rebuilt late…
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles…
St. Peter's is an outstanding example of the decorated style of architecture, with its warm red…
Morland church has the only Anglo Saxon tower in Cumbria which is a remarkable survival and…
Come and visit our brewery to find out more about us and the beers we make. Only a 2 minute walk…
Steam trains running a seasonal daily service from Haverthwaite to Lakeside via the Leven valley.…
Make yourself comfortable in the former home of National Trust Founder, Canon Rawnsley. Only…
Home to the Hasell family since 1679, visitors to Dalemain will discover a fascinating combination…
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes.…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
With a history dating back over a thousand years, Holy Trinity is one of the largest parish…
Cartmel Priory has been described as the medieval jewel among churches, making a lasting impression…
Nestling in the hills of the Troutbeck Valley, a place for walkers and pilgrims to pause, reflect…
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it…
Several stone circles and many small cairns are visible on the moor. The circles are distinguished…
Founded in 1504 and Grade I listed this peaceful church is tucked away on the Fell, surrounded by a…
A local landowner, Sarah Losh (1785-1853), designed St Mary's in 1840, partly in memory of her…
A fine example of a Georgian church, which has been sympathetically modernised.
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
Mirehouse is a beautiful family home in a breathtaking setting, welcoming visitors of all ages.…
Stone circle is now incomplete and has a modern wall cutting through it, incorporating one stone.…


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.
Barrow-in-Furness
Now a ruin, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful Cistercian monastery in Britain, after Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
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).
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.
Alston
Set in the beautiful North Pennines, Alston is the highest market town in England and St Augustine's houses the unique single handed Derwentwater Clock.
W Walls, Carlisle
Carlisle's taproom-led brewery. We brew, package and serve our beer in the same room — fresher than you'll find anywhere else. Pizza by the slice. Open Thursday to Sunday. Dog-friendly.
Embleton
The 15 stones, of which the tallest is just under one metre, form an almost perfect circle some 40 metres in diameter. Only 15 stones of the original 30 remain.
Eskdale
Hardknott Roman Fort is one of the most dramatically sited and remote Roman forts in Britain. It measures just three-acres and the fort at Hardknott enjoyed command of the Eskdale Valley and the Roman road to Ravenglass.
CARLISLE
This ‘hidden gem’ is the earliest known surviving example of a small English parish church designed by ‘God’s Architect’ Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The church retains all of its original elaborate architectural features, fittings and furniture,…
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…
Lakeside
Steam from the lake shore of Windermere along the heritage track to Haverthwaite Station, where you can visit the station tea room, gift shop, woodland playground, picnic area and engine shed. Steam trains running a seasonal daily service from…
KESWICK
The church is situated centrally in Keswick and stands out by virtue of its tall spire. The site for this church commands superb views of the surrounding Lakeland hills.
Penrith
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century excavations produced a cremation.
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.
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.
Boundary Bank, Kendal
Family-run distillery in Kendal offering guided tours and tastings. Discover how we craft gins, spirits and the iconic Kendal Mint Cake Liqueur at the gateway to the Lake District.
SEASCALE
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
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.
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.
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
BRAMPTON
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner and the only church designed by preRaphaelite architect Philip Webb.
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