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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.
This area is rich in prehistoric remains including a standing stone, stone circle and cairns. Moor…
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
Situated in the beautiful valley of Dentdale, Cumbria yet within the boundary of the Yorkshire…
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
Make yourself comfortable in the former home of National Trust Founder, Canon Rawnsley. Only…
The stream which flows over Aira Force is Aira Beck, which rises on the upper slopes of Stybarrow…
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and…
Right in the heart of Kirkby Lonsdale,the beautiful Norman church sits above the River Lune with…
Penrith and Eden Museum is an Accredited Museum, which aims to collect, preserve and display…
A mock-gothic Castle, on the western shore of Windermere. Empty of original furniture, this is a…
Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house is a rare architectural gem in the heart of the Lake District…
The 15 stones, of which the tallest is just under one metre, form an almost perfect circle some 40…
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica…
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a…
Come and join us at The Old Calf Shed for a behind-the-scenes look at our distillery, followed by a…
A unique and special cafe experience on board the replica Orient Express train and restored station…
The beer hall is the Brewery Tap, sampling room, visitors centre and beer shop. it is a fully…
Imposing and well-preserved turret with adjoining stretches of Hadrian's Wall.
Castle open to public at all times. Church open to public dawn to dusk. Bewcastle Cross Shaft Anglo…
Imagine coming to a ruined castle, walking through its gardens and into the woodlands and stumbling…
According to architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner, this is ‘the stateliest church of its time…
A fine example of a Georgian church, which has been sympathetically modernised.
A 'very remarkable building with windows glowing with gemstone colours', according to architectural…
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea…
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: 116
, currently showing 81 to 100.
SEDBERGH
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from 1130, is a haven of peace.
Ambleside
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes. Collections include Kurt Schwitters, Beatrix Potter, photography, fine art and local history.
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
101 reviewsRavenglass
Welcome to Lakeland's oldest, longest and most scenic railway!
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. Excellent…
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
1932 reviewsULVERSTON
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’.
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.
AMBLESIDE
This church is well known because of its associations with the great Romantic poet William Wordsworth, who lived in nearby Dove Cottage and is buried in the churchyard.
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.
WIGTON
Caught in the Anglo Scottish wars of the 14th century, a good bit of luck followed the Dissolution of the Monasteries for this church, when the local people successfully petitioned Thomas Cromwell to allow them to continue to use the church.
AMBLESIDE
Grade I listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late medieval, vernacular Lake District church. It has literary connections with Wordsworth and was also the home the home of Archbishop Sandys in the 16th century.
Ulverston
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows, Romano-British farmsteads.
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.
Kendal
Lakeland Arts' much-loved art collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture ranging from the 1700's to the present. In our refreshed collection galleries discover the stories of our extraordinary collection pieces and the people…
Penrith
Historic house and gardens based on a medieval pele towers with substantial 17th, 18th and 19thC additions. Extensive gardens in woodland setting walled garden, topiary, woodland walk and lake with cascade.
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224 reviewsEskdale
Several stone circles and many small cairns are visible on the moor. The circles are distinguished by the occurance within them of small cairns. Construction date is thought to be around 2000BC.
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,…
Millom
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one of them having contained a cremation.
Carlisle
Discover 900 years of history and explore the tumultuous life of Carlisle Castle and its characters, in a new exhibition.
Cumbria
The present circle of 10 standing stones, 80' diameter, was restored in 1949. The stone circle is on private land belonging to Seascale How Farm, but can be seen from a nearby footpath.
CARLISLE
The tranquility of St Andrew's church, set on the banks of the river Esk, belies the turbulence of its past. The church serves the scattered population in the rural parish of Kirkandrews on Esk, once the centre of the historic and lawless Debateable…
Workington
Stone circle is now incomplete and has a modern wall cutting through it, incorporating one stone. Eleven others survive, some only a few inches high.
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