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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.
Stone circle is now incomplete and has a modern wall cutting through it, incorporating one stone.…
Family-run distillery in Kendal offering guided tours and tastings. Discover how we craft gins,…
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural…
Mirehouse is a beautiful family home in a breathtaking setting, welcoming visitors of all ages.…
The beautiful Grade I church we see today, situated by the River Bela, is the result of additions…
Nestling in the hills of the Troutbeck Valley, a place for walkers and pilgrims to pause, reflect…
The church was designed by Edward Welby Pugin (son of Augustus Welby Pugin) and built between 1873…
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events,…
Standing at the centre of the town of Bowness-on-Windermere, this Grade I listed church boasts…
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…
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The…
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View…
The 'Old Church' of St Martin was built in the 1660's on the site of a probable earlier chapel…
Nenthead Mines is a historic place at Nenthead, near Alston. This remote valley is covered by…
Morland church has the only Anglo Saxon tower in Cumbria which is a remarkable survival and…
Come and walk up the aisle of our beautiful and peaceful church and learn about the lives of the…
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with…
Swarthmoor Hall is a 17th century, Grade II* listed country house. The Hall is regarded as the…
Today, the principal feature is the Goggleby Stone, a 12 ton monolith, which was re-erected in 1975…
Grade I listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late medieval, vernacular Lake District…
12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian’s Wall and where King Edward I…
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and…
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known 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: 147
, currently showing 81 to 100.
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.
Brampton
Imposing and well-preserved turret with adjoining stretches of Hadrian's Wall.
Milnthorpe
The beautiful Grade I church we see today, situated by the River Bela, is the result of additions and adaptations through the centuries.
Mass dials, masons marks, medieval stained glass, a fine Forster & Andrews organ, tower bells and gravestones…
Penrith
One mile east of Orton is the ancient Gamelands stone circle. One of the largest in Cumbria, all of its stones have fallen over so none are higher than one yard but they are 100 yards in circumference.
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…
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…
Ulverston
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows, Romano-British farmsteads.
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…
Ravenglass
Located in the grounds of Muncaster Castle, it is believed that worship on this site dates to pre Christian times.
Built on land used by the monks of Furness Abbey to graze their sheep. It seems likely that there was an earlier church, in the…
SEDBERGH
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known and loved by Friends all over the world.
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.
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.
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.
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.
AMBLESIDE
Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart of the English Lake District.
CARNFORTH
Right in the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale,the beautiful Norman church sits above the River Lune with commanding views from the churchyard.
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…
WHITEHAVEN
A fine example of a Georgian church, which has been sympathetically modernised.
Keswick
The church, dedicated to the Celtic Saint Bega, is situated in a picture perfect setting in fields on the east shore of Bassenthwaite Lake.
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.
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