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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.
Standing proudly in the city it has dominated for nine centuries, Carlisle Castle remained a…
The house boasts 800 years of family history, and is still lived in by the Strickland family today.…
Imagine coming to a ruined castle, walking through its gardens and into the woodlands and stumbling…
Parkland and Gothic Revival castle sitting on the west shore of Windermere providing an impressive…
Castle open to public at all times. Church open to public dawn to dusk. Bewcastle Cross Shaft Anglo…
The stream which flows over Aira Force is Aira Beck, which rises on the upper slopes of Stybarrow…
Greystoke Castle, a 12th-century gem in the Cumbrian countryside, offers 800 years of history,…
Hardknott Roman Fort is one of the most dramatically sited and remote Roman forts in Britain. It…
Circle has a diameter of 60' and stands on a flattened mound or platform. There are 20 uprights,…
Kendal Castle is situated on a mound-like hill, known as a drumlin, to the east of the town of…
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one…
Several stone circles and many small cairns are visible on the moor. The circles are distinguished…
Make yourself comfortable in the former home of National Trust Founder, Canon Rawnsley. Only…
A masterpiece of storytelling; 350 years of social history and a celebration of life, revolutions…
Situated on the western coast in the rural village of Rowrah, our beer is brewed with quality and…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Nestled on the shores of Lake Windermere, this extensive working mill was begun in 1835 and…
The mainly 15thC remains of a castle begun by Bishop Strickland of Carlisle and developed by the…
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica…
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and…
Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and…
Imagine leaving the heart of Whitehaven's historic port and being taken back in time to an exotic…
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England.
Steam trains running a seasonal daily service from Haverthwaite to Lakeside via the Leven valley.…
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: 125
, currently showing 61 to 80.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
Millom
Remnants of five stone circles and two possible stone avenues, circles range from 14' to 60', one of them having contained a cremation.
SEDBERGH
Set in the heart of Sedbergh in a beautifully maintained churchyard the church, which dates from 1130, is a haven of peace.
Bewcastle, Carlisle
Castle open to public at all times. Church open to public dawn to dusk. Bewcastle Cross Shaft Anglo Saxon 7thC, beside church. Dates from 1361, east wall 12thC.
Ulverston
Double Circle of stones surrounding cremations in urns (removed). 'Platform' cairn, small barrows, Romano-British farmsteads.
Grasmere
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.
Windermere
A real Lakeland hidden treasure set in the beautiful village of Troutbeck, this 17thC solid stone and slate house sits imposingly on the hillside, its huge chimneys typical of the area.
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.
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.
Penrith
Imagine coming to a ruined castle, walking through its gardens and into the woodlands and stumbling across one of the largest adventure playgrounds in the country. When you do this at Lowther, you have found the lost castle.
AMBLESIDE
Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart of the English Lake District.
GRANGE-OVER-SANDS
Founded in 1504 and Grade I listed this peaceful church is tucked away on the Fell, surrounded by a graveyard rich with wildflowers, the interior contains unusual box pews, a triple decker pulpit and stained glass both ancient and modern.
Nr Seascale
Three circles and nine small cairns. The south circle is 104' across, the north-west is 72' with a low central cairn. The third is immediately north of the second, it is 24' across and also encloses a small cairn.
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.
CARLISLE
12th century Norman church, built with stones from Hadrian’s Wall and where King Edward I (Longshanks) lay in state in the church for ten days in 1307.
Burgh by Sands is a very interesting church with layers of history.From the 12th century and on…
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.
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).
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.
Boot, Holmrook
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations. This charming site embodies the Lake District’s heritage. It is the last remaining working water-powered corn mill in the Lake District.
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
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