Sights in Lake District
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Dove Cottage
Originally an inn called The Dove and Olive, this tiny cottage just outside Grasmere is the most famous former home of William Wordsworth. He arrived here with his sister Dorothy in 1799 before being joined in 1802 by his new wife, Mary, and soon after, three children – John, Dora and Thomas – who were born here in 1803, 1804 and 1806.
The tiny cottage was a cramped but happy home for the growing family – a time memorably recounted in Dorothy's diary, later published as the Grasmere Journal – and after they were eventually forced to seek more space at nearby Allan House in 1808, the cottage was leased by Wordsworth's young friend Thomas de Quincey (author of Conf…
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Hawkshead Grammar School
In centuries past, promising young Lakeland gentleman were sent to Hawkshead's village school for their educational foundations, including a young William Wordsworth, who attended the school from 1779 to 1787. The curriculum was punishing: 10 hours' study a day, covering weighty subjects such as Latin, Greek, geometry, science and rhetoric. Hardly surprising young Willie (amongst others) felt the urge to carve his name into one of the desks.
Upstairs is a small exhibition exploring the history of the school.
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Kendal Museum
Founded in 1796 by the inveterate Victorian collector William Todhunter, this mixed-bag museum features everything from stuffed beasts to medieval coin hoards (look out for the Alethiometer, from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy). There's also a reconstruction of the office of Alfred Wainwright, the famous hill-walker and author of the classic Pictorial Guides, who served as honorary curator at the museum from 1945 to 1974.
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Brantwood
John Ruskin (1819–1900), the Victorian polymath, philosopher and critic, was one of the great thinkers of 19th-century society, expounding views on everything from Venetian architecture to the finer points of traditional lace-making. In 1871 he purchased Brantwood and spent the next 20 years expanding and modifying the house and grounds, championing the value of traditional 'Arts and Crafts' over soulless factory-made materials.
The result is a living monument to Ruskin's aesthetic principles. Every inch of the house, from the handmade furniture through to the formal gardens, was designed according to his painstaking instructions (he even dreamt up some of the wallpape…
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Blackwell Arts & Crafts House
Blackwell Arts & Crafts House is one of the finest examples of the Arts & Crafts movement, distinguished by its simple, elegant architecture and sense of space. The house was designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott in the 19th century for a wealthy brewer, and contains many of his trademark designs, including Delft tiles and some gorgeous 18th-century oak panelling. A collection of antiques and furniture from the Arts and Crafts movement is also on display.
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Lake Windermere
Somewhat bizarrely, Lake Windermere is officially a public highway - giving it the same status as a main road or an intercity motorway - and in the early 19th-century cargo ships carrying coal, lumber, copper and slate were a common sight on its waters. The first steam passenger ferry was launched on the lake in 1845, just two years before the railway arrived in town, and lake cruises quickly became one of the town's most popular pastimes (and biggest earners).
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World of Beatrix Potter
This decidedly odd theme attraction brings to life scenes from Beatrix Potter's books (including Peter Rabbit's garden and Mr McGregor's greenhouse) using a combination of life-size models and themed rooms.
Seeing a human-size Mrs Tiggywinkle is quite a weird experience; seek refuge in the Tailor of Gloucester tearoom if it all gets a bit much, or pick up a Potter-themed souvenir from the on-site shop.
Be prepared for queues: for some reason, Japanese visitors are obsessed with all things Beatrix Potter, and this place is number one on their list after Hill Top.
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Pencil Museum
For over 350 years, Keswick was a centre for graphite mining and pencil manufacture (Derwent colouring pencils are still a favourite amongst discerning artists). At the southern end of Main St, the former Cumberland Pencil Factory now houses various exhibits exploring the industry, including a reconstruction of the old Borrowdale slate mine and the world's longest pencil (measuring 8m end to end).
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Museum of Lakeland Life
The Museum of Lakeland Life is opposite the Abbot Hall Art Gallery. This atmospheric museum retraces the region's past using reconstructed buildings, including an Edwardian street scene, and exhibits on local industries such as spinning, mining and bobbin-making. One room recreates the study of Arthur Ransome, author of Swallows and Amazons.
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Armitt Museum
Artefacts at Ambleside's modest town museum include a lock of John Ruskin's hair, a collection of botanical watercolours by Beatrix Potter, and prints by the pharmacist- turned-photographer Herbert Bell.
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Windermere Steamboat Museum
The Windermere Steamboat Museum will delight closet steamboat Willies, with a marvellous collection of vessels including Beatrix Potter's rowing boat and the Esperance, which doubled as Captain Flint's houseboat in the BBC adaptation of Swallows and Amazons. The museum offers lake trips on vintage boats from July to September.
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Abbot Hall Art Gallery
Kendal's gallery houses one of the northwest's best collections of 18th- and 19th-century art; it's especially strong on portraiture and Lakeland landscapes. Look out for works by Constable, Varley and Turner, as well as portraits by John Ruskin and local boy George Romney, born in Dalton-in-Furness in 1734, and a key figure in the 'Kendal School'.
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Ruskin Museum
Coniston's museum explores the village's history, touching on copper mining, Arthur Ransome and the Campbell story. There's also an extensive section on John Ruskin, with displays of his writings, watercolours and sketchbooks. An extension is currently being built to house Campbell's K7 boat: if it's not finished by the time you get here, you can see the boat's tail fin, air intake and engine. The museum also arranges guided walks exploring the Campbell story and the area's John Ruskin connections.
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Aquarium of the Lakes
Aquarium of the Lakes is at the lake's southern end, and recreates over 30 freshwater habitats, including an underwater tunnel through Windermere's lakebed, complete with pike, Arctic char and diving ducks. As usual, though, the mischievous otters steal the show. The best way to arrive is by boat from Bowness or Ambleside.
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Cars of the Stars Motor Museum
This museum houses a fleet of celebrity vehicles: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mr Bean's Mini, a Batmobile, KITT from Knight Rider, the A-Team van and the Delorean from Back to the Future, as well as lots of Bond cars.
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Beatrix Potter Gallery
Beatrix Potter's husband, the solicitor William Heelis, was based in Hawkshead. His former office is now owned by the National Trust and contains a selection of delicate wildlife watercolours by Beatrix Potter, illustrating her considerable skills as a botanical painter and amateur naturalist.
Discounted admission is available if you keep hold of your ticket from Hill Top.
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Puzzling Place
If you're a fan of brainteasers, the Puzzling Place is a real treat, with a maze of rooms crammed with holograms, optical illusions and a truly befuddling anti-gravity gallery.
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Wordsworth Museum
Next door to Dove Cottage, the new Wordsworth Museum houses a fascinating collection of letters, portraits and manuscripts relating to the Romantic movement.
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St Oswald's Church
Parts of Grasmere's delightful village church date back to the 13th century. The Wordsworth family regularly came here to worship: inside you'll see a memorial to the poet alongside his own prayer book, and in the churchyard you'll find the graves of William, Mary and Dorothy; the Wordsworth children Dora, Catherine and Thomas; and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's son Hartley.
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Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry
Opposite Abbot Hall, this museum recreates various scenes from Lakeland life during the 18th and 19th centuries, including a farmhouse parlour, a Lakeland kitchen, an apothecary and the study of Arthur Ransome, author of Swallows and Amazons.
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Lakes Aquarium
At the southern end of the lake near Newby Bridge, this small aquarium explores underwater habitats from tropical Africa through to Morecambe Bay. Highlights include a simulated diving bell and an underwater tunnel beneath Windermere's lake bed, complete with pike, char and diving ducks. You could arrive by ferry from Bowness or Ambleside, aboard the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, or via bus 618 from Windermere. Last admission is at 5pm.
Discounts are available for buying tickets in advance online.
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Keswick Museum & Art Gallery
Hardly anything has changed since Keswick's municipal museum opened its doors in 1898. Dusty cases fill the halls: the most famous exhibits are a centuries-old mummified cat and the celebrated Musical Stones of Skiddaw, a truly weird instrument made from hornsfel rock that was once played for Queen Victoria.
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Castlerigg Stone Circle
Set on a fabulously wild hilltop a mile east of town, this famous stone circle consists of 48 stones between 3000 and 4000 years old, surrounded by a dramatic circle of mountain peaks.
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