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Beauty, brains and exceedingly good taste: the Lake District, Cumbria is the full package. Here we celebrate a living culture that incorporates the past but is rooted firmly in the present. Our history - ancient and more recent - is alive and well in the very Cumbrian landscape, but you can interpret it in our impressive collection of museums that tell Cumbria’s story - from prehistory right through to the modern age.
There’s an impressive list of radical thinkers and artistic pioneers who found inspiration here – William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter, JMW Turner, John Ruskin, Kurt Schwitters, Josefina de Vasconcellos and Andy Goldsworthy. You can walk in their footsteps, visit their homes and explore the rich creative life built on their exceptional heritage.
You can see and feel it within a few short miles: as well as museums and heritage centres there are scores of galleries, exhibitions and artists’ studios; there’s artworks in the mountains and forests; a packed, year-round programme of live theatre performances, independent cinemas and festivals celebrating all manner of creative endeavours, from music to local craft. And yes, we have lots of traditional performance venues, but there’s a particular thrill in attending a show on an outdoor stage in a spectacular setting.
Inspiration
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica…
Abbot Hall is one of Britain’s preeminent small art galleries, set in a Grade I listed Georgian…
Occupying three floors within an historic building this bright and welcoming gallery showcases the…
Art gallery and art shop run by the Heaton Cooper family, selling original paintings and prints…
The loveliest spot that man hath ever found
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Lake District Music - Summer Festival - 26th July to 4th August 2024.
For almost 40 years the world’s finest classical musicians have performed in the stunning surroundings of the Lake District. Every summer they head to Cumbria for a festival like…
Lake Rd, Keswick
Theatre by the Lake has a setting on the shores of Derwentwater no other professional theatre in Britain can match. Each year it stages up to nine of its own productions of classic, modern and new plays and has won multi-starred reviews.
Bowness on Windermere
Set in the heart of the Lake District, this intimate theatre shares a building in Bowness with the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction. The Theatre produces a lively programme of professional drama, music, folk, comedy, lectures and film.
Barrow-in-Furness
BarrowFull is an arts organisation led by Barrow-based partners with the aim of increasing participation in the arts. We work with the people of Barrow, enabling creative experiences to happen across the town including a vibrant programme of public…
Kentmere
Long House Studios is a small, friendly, independent art school offering intensive and immersive Art Courses for adults and young people. Courses run for 3-5 days in the beautiful Kentmere valley.
Bowness-on-Windermere
A magical indoor attraction that brings to life all 23 Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit tales. Meet all your favourite characters and find out more about Beatrix Potter herself.
Bowness-on-Windermere
Visit BAHA and enjoy LIVE MUSIC on Fridays & Saturdays all year round!
Sedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
Keswick
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica graphite mine which would have served as the source of the pencil industry over three centuries ago.
Kendal
Regional artists know all too well how few spaces are available to show their work, so the recent opening of this large gallery space in Kendal is an exciting new addition to the Lakeland arts scene. With around a hundred square metres of space, the…
Carlisle
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events, family activities, refreshments or simply a moment of peace - a warm welcome awaits.
Ambleside
Art gallery and art shop run by the Heaton Cooper family, selling original paintings and prints from 4 generations of the family.
Kendal
Brewery Arts is a thriving and dynamic arts organisation with over forty years' experience of delivering an exciting and inspirational programme, including cultural events, festivals and creative learning courses.
Windermere
Windermere Jetty Museum is a vibrant, family-friendly visitor attraction dedicated to the boats, people and the rich history of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake.
Penrith
An unrivalled range of 1,2 and 3 day courses in the Arts, Crafts, Heritage skills, Baking, Textiles, Raku pottery, Wood /Stone carving, Willow & Wire, Ceramics, Glass, Silver and much much more.
Crosby-on-Eden
Whether you see yourself as an aviation enthusiast or simply a curious explorer, Solway Aviation Museum has something to offer. Based on the site of RAF Crosby-on-Eden, a former WWII fighter base, the museum has been painstakingly created by a team…
Ambleside
Zeffirellis is an independent cinema that supports new and emerging talents within the world of cinema and the arts. We offer the complete evening out, you can wine and dine and see a film.
Ulverston
The Coro is an historic arts, culture and entertainment venue presenting Theatre, Music, Comedy, Community, Talks and Dance all year round in Ulverston, Cumbria at the edge of the Lake District.
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
Occupying three floors within an historic building this bright and welcoming gallery showcases the best arts and crafts in the Lakes and Britain today, including wall art, glass, wood and ceramics.
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Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL