You are here: Home > Things to Do > History and Heritage
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.
The beautiful Grade I church we see today, situated by the River Bela, is the result of additions…
12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian’s Wall and where King Edward I…
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and…
A free Exhibition at the first floor of Windermere Library which tells the heritage of pioneering…
Set in a tranquil rural landscape, overlooked by Hadrian's Wall, Lanercost Priory forms a…
Founded in 1504 and Grade I listed this peaceful church is tucked away on the Fell, surrounded by a…
A unique combination of interrelated stories and a fascinating visitor experience. Over 100 years…
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events,…
The tranquility of St Andrew's church, set on the banks of the river Esk, belies the turbulence of…
The stream which flows over Aira Force is Aira Beck, which rises on the upper slopes of Stybarrow…
Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart…
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
One of the oldest Methodist Churches in the world and possibly one of the most unique buildings…
Circle has a diameter of 60' and stands on a flattened mound or platform. There are 20 uprights,…
Located in the grounds of Muncaster Castle, it is believed that worship on this site dates to pre…
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century…
Originally know as Sunkenkirk, consists of 50 stones at the foot of Black Combe. Access is via a…
Egremont Castle Park in the town of Egremont, offers 2.8 acres of beautiful green space that is…
Imposing and well-preserved turret with adjoining stretches of Hadrian's Wall.
St Peter’s was built in 1874 designed by well known Lancashire firm of Paley and Austin and won an…
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The…
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from…
Home to the Hasell family since 1679, visitors to Dalemain will discover a fascinating combination…
Come and walk up the aisle of our beautiful and peaceful church and learn about the lives of the…


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 101 to 120.
Hexham
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea across some of the wildest and most dramatic country in England.
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…
Penrith
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century excavations produced a cremation.
Alston
The multi award winning South Tynedale Railway is situated in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Global Geopark.
PENRITH
A beautiful Norman church on site of 7th century monastery in peaceful Lakeland location and home of the Dacre Bears, four unique medieval stone statues.
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.
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.
AMBLESIDE
Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart of the English Lake District.
KIRKBY STEPHEN
Entered from the Market Square through handsome cloisters built in 1810, the parish church stands on the site of a Saxon church and contains many ancient relics.
Workington
Lamplugh church, designed by William Butterfield, is located in a dramatic landscape on an elevated site, set against the outlying fells of the Lake District National Park with Owsen and Blake Fells beyond.
KESWICK
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and tranquillity, it can be traced back to the mid 16th century, although it was substantially refurbished in the 1840s.
Carnforth
Built in 1833 by William Carus Wilson, Founder of the Clergy Daughters School, as school chapel and parish church with a strong connection with local heritage and Bronte sisters.
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!
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.
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.
ST. BEES
The priory is one of the architectural jewels in Cumbria and well worth a visit. This beautiful and historic church in the seaside village of St Bees, built in 1120, is all that remains of the original Priory, but it is a thriving and much loved…
Silloth
A museum/exhibition based on a collection of toy soldiers and related forts, guns etc. Battlefield models, Hadrian's Wall feature, historical information.
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…
SEDBERGH
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from 1130, is a haven of peace.
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.
Receive all the latest news, special offers and information from the Lake District, Cumbria
Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL