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.
Come and join us at The Old Calf Shed for a behind-the-scenes look at our distillery, followed by a…
Greystoke Castle, a 12th-century gem in the Cumbrian countryside, offers 800 years of history,…
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events,…
Imposing and well-preserved turret with adjoining stretches of Hadrian's Wall.
Early 13thC castle, formidable barrier for Scots invaders, restored by the indomitable Lady Anne…
Brigflatts, near Sedbergh, Cumbria, is one of the most famous Quaker meeting houses, known and…
La'aL Ratty, the little Cumbrian railway, is an award-winning heritage visitor attraction and Lake…
Dating back to the 17th century, this unique building stands over Stock Beck in the middle of…
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The…
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
Hadrian's Wall is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, marching 73 miles from sea to sea…
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with…
Black Cat Distillery operates out of a stunning fortified and walled Medieval Hall at Brougham. Our…
St Peter’s was built in 1874 designed by well known Lancashire firm of Paley and Austin and won an…
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
Raised in circa 3000BC, Castlerigg is perhaps the most atmospheric of all British stone circles…
Circle is 37' across, seven stones and the retaining kerb of a destroyed cairn. Nineteenth-century…
A real Lakeland hidden treasure set in the beautiful village of Troutbeck, this 17thC solid stone…
A masterpiece of storytelling; 350 years of social history and a celebration of life, revolutions…
A local landowner, Sarah Losh (1785-1853), designed St Mary's in 1840, partly in memory of her…
Grade I listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late medieval, vernacular Lake District…
The church, dedicated to the Celtic Saint Bega, is situated in a picture perfect setting in fields…
Beatrix Potter's iconic house, full of her personal possessions, with traditional cottage garden.…
Historic house and gardens based on a medieval pele towers with substantial 17th, 18th and 19thC…
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: 122
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Grange-over-Sands
A fascinating historic house where the elegance and loveliness of the Victorian era combine with the warmth and welcome of a much loved family home. The hall is set in 25 acres of romantic formal & woodland gardens and ancient parkland, with the…
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.
SEDBERGH
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from 1130, is a haven of peace.
PENRITH
The 'Old Church' of St Martin was built in the 1660's on the site of a probable earlier chapel dating from 1220. The church is fully open and much visited, with all entries in the visitor’s book remarking on the special atmosphere and sense of peace…
Barrow-in-Furness
Now a ruin, Furness Abbey was once the second most powerful Cistercian monastery in Britain, after Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire.
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.
Carnforth
Circle has a diameter of 60' and stands on a flattened mound or platform. There are 20 uprights, none more than 2' high and suggesting perhaps the kerb of a destroyed cairn.
Penrith
Second largest circle in England - 360' diameter. Long Meg is an outlying stone and is decorated with concentric circle - late Neolithic or early Bronze Age (c2000 or earlier).
SEASCALE
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
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.
Ulverston
The Laurel and Hardy Museum celebrates the life and career of Stan Laurel, born in Ulverston.
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.
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…
Nr Bassenthwaite Lake
The award-winning Lakes Distillery Company opened in December 2014 in The Lake District National Park with the vision of producing a world class single malt whisky and a global brand that is recognised and respected around the world
Kendal
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of Kendal, Cumbria, in northern England.
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.
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.
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.
Coniston
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and memorabilia. The 250-acre estate comprises 8 unique gardens, ancient woodland, high moors and meadows.
Kendal
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The Museum has a long history in Kendal Town and has occupied various sites but has been at its current location (previously a wool warehouse) since 1913.
Receive all the latest news, special offers and information from the Lake District, Cumbria
Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL