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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.
Isel church is a beautiful Grade I listed building, which is located in an idyllic position in a…
Stone circle is now incomplete and has a modern wall cutting through it, incorporating one stone.…
Come and visit our brewery to find out more about us and the beers we make. Only a 2 minute walk…
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from…
A spectacular Gothic ruin set in 130 acres of ancient and romantic Gardens, award-winning Lowther…
St Mary's has been an important religious site since the 8th century.
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…
Steam from the lake shore of Windermere along the heritage track to Haverthwaite Station, where you…
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea…
12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian’s Wall and where King Edward I…
Crosthwaite Church has a long history and it is thought that Christians have worshipped on this…
Enjoy your perfect Lake District day out at Wordsworth Grasmere. Discover the home of William…
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
Originally know as Sunkenkirk, consists of 50 stones at the foot of Black Combe. Access is via a…
One of the oldest Methodist Churches in the world and possibly one of the most unique buildings…
A beautiful Norman church on site of 7th century monastery in peaceful Lakeland location and home…
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
The present circle of 10 standing stones, 80' diameter, was restored in 1949. The stone circle is…
Dating back to the 17th century, this unique building stands over Stock Beck in the middle of…
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles…
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and…
Right in the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale,the beautiful Norman church sits above the River Lune with…
Built in 1833 by William Carus Wilson, Founder of the Clergy Daughters School, as school chapel 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 61 to 80.
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…
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.
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.
Brough
Come and walk up the aisle of our beautiful and peaceful church and learn about the lives of the inhabitants of Brough under Stainmore.
St Michael’s has not always had such a quiet time. Its close proximity to the castle 200yds away, meant it was…
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.
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.
SEDBERGH
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known and loved by Friends all over the world.
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.
CARLISLE
The 8th century, Anglo Saxon Bewcastle Cross, stands free in the churchyard where it has been for nearly 1500 years. The church is somewhat simpler and certainly younger, with some parts of it dating from 1277, although mostly it is from the…
Nr Seascale
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a low central cairn. The third is immediately north of the second, it is 24' across and also encloses a small cairn.
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.
Penrith
A tranquil haven with an almost-forgotten industrial past. Walled garden with outstanding medicinal and culinary herb collection and orchards, woodland walks to a restored watermill.
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.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
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.
Penrith
The stream which flows over Aira Force is Aira Beck, which rises on the upper slopes of Stybarrow Dodd at a height of 720 metres and flows north-easterly before turning south, blocked by the high heather-covered slopes of Gowbarrow Fell.
Grasmere
Enjoy your perfect Lake District day out at Wordsworth Grasmere. Discover the home of William Wordsworth, one of England’s most famous poets. Step back 200 years and experience the sights, sounds and smells of family life at Dove Cottage.
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.
Penrith
This area is rich in prehistoric remains including a standing stone, stone circle and cairns. Moor Divock is 300 metres above sea level, forming part of Askham Fell, to the East of Ullswater.
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,…
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