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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.
St Mary and St Michael's church is said to have very early origins, as 9th and 10th century richly…
Situated prominently in the heart of the village, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. St…
This church is well known because of its associations with the great Romantic poet William…
Step into The Vault and unlock the history of Kirkby Lonsdale through this interactive, and free to…
The 'Old Church' of St Martin was built in the 1660's on the site of a probable earlier chapel…
Grade I listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late medieval, vernacular Lake District…
Situated on the western coast in the rural village of Rowrah, our beer is brewed with quality and…
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and…
Three stone circles and two smaller settings of boulders 12' across. Inside one of the circles was…
The 8th century, Anglo Saxon Bewcastle Cross, stands free in the churchyard where it has been for…
Family Day Out – Walk the lakeshore, hop on a boat cruise, or enjoy a picnic by the water while the…
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and…
Morland church has the only Anglo Saxon tower in Cumbria which is a remarkable survival and…
Beatrix Potter's iconic house, full of her personal possessions, with traditional cottage garden.…
Cartmel Priory has been described as the medieval jewel among churches, making a lasting impression…
One mile east of Orton is the ancient Gamelands stone circle. One of the largest in Cumbria, all of…
Lamplugh church, designed by William Butterfield, is located in a dramatic landscape on an elevated…
The award-winning Lakes Distillery Company opened in December 2014 in The Lake District National…
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural…
St Peter’s was built in 1874 designed by well known Lancashire firm of Paley and Austin and won an…
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea…
This ‘hidden gem’ is the earliest known surviving example of a small English parish church designed…
A spectacular Gothic ruin set in 130 acres of ancient and romantic Gardens, award-winning Lowther…
Steam from the lake shore of Windermere along the heritage track to Haverthwaite Station, where you…


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.
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.
Hawkshead, Ambleside
Situated in the quaint Lake District Village of Hawkshead, the boys Grammar School gives insight into school life ever since it opened in 1585. William Wordsworth also attended the school from age 9 to 17 with his brothers.
Cockermouth
Step back in time to the 1770s and experience William and Dorothy Wordsworth’s childhood home. Whether you meet the maid-of-all-work or a knowledgeable 21st-century guide, you’re guaranteed a warm welcome.
Newby Bridge
A unique combination of interrelated stories and a fascinating visitor experience.
Over 100 years of motoring history, the Campbell Bluebird exhibition, IOM TT tribute display and the Leven Valley heritage centre. Gift shop and Cafe Ambio.
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.
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.
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…
APPLEBY-IN-WESTMORLAND
St Lawrence's church is a grade I listed building, of late 12th century foundation, rebuilt late 13th after a raid by the Scots, restored 16th by Lady Anne Clifford, followed by two rounds of 19th century internal remodelling.
Sedbergh
Mount Zion Chapel was opened in 1876, the same year in which the Midland Railway Company opened the famous Settle to Carlisle railway, serving the local community of railway employees and farmers.
Millom
Originally know as Sunkenkirk, consists of 50 stones at the foot of Black Combe. Access is via a long farm track from a minor road branching off the A595. Well worth the walk!
Penrith
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century excavations produced a cremation.
Carlisle
Situated prominently in the heart of the village, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. St Mary’s is the only church actually on the course of Hadrian's Wall.
Barrow-in-Furness
Now a ruin, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful Cistercian monastery in Britain, after Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
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.
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.
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,…
SEDBERGH
Striking in its symmetry with its central round headed doorway between by matching round headed windows, Cautley Wesleyan chapel is a good example of its type and date.
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’.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
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…
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