Things to do in Cumbria & The Lakes
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Lucy's on a Plate
Lucy's started life in 1989 as a specialist grocery, but over the last decade it's mushroomed into a full-blown gastronomic empire, with premises dotted all over Ambleside, as well as a Windermere outpost and even a cookery school in Staveley. The original bistro is still the best of the bunch, though: a light and inviting space with pine tables and a sweet conservatory, serving Lucy's trademark quirkily named food, such as 'fruity porker', 'fell-walker filler' or 'pruned piggy-wig'. It gets very busy, so bookings are essential at busy times and weekends.
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Windermere Lake Cruises
Top on the list of things to do in Windermere is to take a lake cruise. The first passenger ferry was launched back in 1845, and cruising on the lake is still a hugely popular pastime: some of the vessels are modern, but there are a couple of period beauties dating back to the 1930s. Cruises allow you to jump off at one of the ferry landings (Waterhead/Ambleside, Wray Castle, Brockhole, Bowness, Ferry Landing, Fell Foot Ferry and Lakeside) and catch a later boat back.
Blue Cruise (adult/child/family £6.75/3.40/18.50) 45-minute cruise around Windermere's islands and bays.
Green Cruise (adult/child/family £6.20/3.10/17) 45-minute cruise from Waterhead/Ambleside via Wray Cas…
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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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Tullie House Museum
The city museum ranges through Carlisle's turbulent history, starting from its Celtic foundation through to the development of modern Carlisle. The museum has a strong archaeology collection, including a Bronze Age spear-mould, Roman tablets collected from Hadrian's Wall, and artefacts recovered from Viking burial sites in nearby Ormside and Hesket.
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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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cathedral
The city's red sandstone cathedral was originally constructed as a priory church in 1122. During the 1644-45 siege by Parliamentarian troops, two-thirds of the nave was torn down to help repair the city wall and castle. Serious restoration didn't begin until 1853, but a surprising amount survives, including the east window and part of the original Norman nave.
Notable features include the fine 14th-century east window, the 15th-century misericords, the lovely Brougham Triptych in the north transept, and some ornate choir carvings.
Surrounding the cathedral are other priory relics, including the 16th-century Fratry and the Prior's Tower.
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Keswick Launch Company
Derwent Water has an excellent boat service run by the Keswick Launch Company calling at seven landing stages around the lake: Ashness Gate, Lodore Falls, High Brandlehow, Low Brandlehow, Hawse End, Nichol End and back to Keswick. Boats leave every hour, clockwise and anticlockwise; single fares to each jetty are also available.
There are six daily boats from March to November, with a couple of extra afternoon sailings in high summer. There's also an evening cruise at 19:30 in summer, which includes a free glass of wine (one hour, May to September). There are only two daily sailings from November to March.
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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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Lakeland walks
The town makes an excellent base for many well-known Lakeland walks. One of the most popular trails is the easy-going woodland stroll up to Stock Ghyll Force, a 60ft waterfall plunging into a narrow canyon. For something more strenuous, you could try the hour-long ascent to the top of Wansfell, followed by a two-hour return trip via Jenkins Crag, with views across to Coniston and the Langdale Pikes. Serious hikers are spoilt for choice - several classic circuits start from Ambleside, including the 10-mile Fairfield Horseshoe via Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Fairfield and Dove Crag.
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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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Carlisle Castle
Carlisle's brooding, rust-red castle lurks dramatically on the north side of the city. Founded around a Celtic and Roman stronghold, the Norman keep was added in 1092 by William Rufus, followed by successive refortifications by Henry II, Edward I and Henry VIII (who added the supposedly cannon-proof towers).
The castle has witnessed some dramatic events over the centuries: Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned here in 1568, and the castle was the site of a notorious eight-month siege during the English Civil War, when the Royalist garrison survived by eating rats, mice and the castle dogs before finally surrendering in 1645. Look out for the 'licking stones' in the dungeon, …
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Coniston Launch
A more contemporary way to get around the lake is aboard Coniston's two modern launches, which have run on solar panels since 2005. There are two routes: the Northern service calls at the Waterhead Hotel, Torver and Brantwood, while the Southern service sails to the jetties at Torver, Water Park, Lake Bank, Sunny Bank and Brantwood via Peel Island. You can break your journey and walk to the next jetty. There are between five and nine daily trips depending on the time of year.
As with the Gondola, commentated cruises on the Campbells (adult/child £11.70/5.75) and Swallows & Amazons (£12/6) are available throughout the year. Ask at the ticket office for details.
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Walking
The popular climb to the summit of the Old Man (7½ miles, four to five hours) starts at St Andrew's Church in Coniston. On a clear day the views stretch to the Cumbrian coast and Windermere. Another walk from St Andrew's Church climbs through picturesque countryside to Tarn Hows, an artificial lake backed by woods and mountains. Allow 2½ to three hours for the 5-mile walk. The tourist office has leaflets on both walks.
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Glass House
Ritzy restaurant in a converted watermill (with the original mill wheel and machinery still on site), serving some of the most accomplished Med and French food in the Lakes, underpinned by top-quality local ingredients – Herdwick lamb, Lakeland chicken, and fish from the north coast ports.
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Yanwath Gate Inn
Gastropub gorgeousness is at the order of the day at the Yat, 2 miles south of town. It's been named Cumbria's Top Dining Pub three times by the Good Pub Guide, and the grub puts many of the county's gastronomic restaurants to shame: wild venison, saltmarsh lamb, Brougham Hall chicken and crispy pork belly, chased down by Cumbrian cheeses and beers from three local breweries.
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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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St Andrews Church
Penrith's name derives from an old Celtic word meaning 'red fell', and the area's crimson sandstone can be seen in many town buildings, including the town's 19th-century church. A legendary giant (the 'rightful king of all Cumbria') is said to be buried in the churchyard, but the stone pillars supposedly marking his grave are actually the weathered remains of Celtic crosses.
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Penrith Castle
Opposite the station are the ruins of Penrith's 14th-century castle, built by William Strickland (later Bishop of Carlisle and Archbishop of Canterbury) and expanded by Richard III to resist Scottish raids, one of which razed the town in 1345.
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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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No 15 Café Bar
Fifteen reasons to visit this café-bar-gallery are chalked up on the blackboard behind the counter, but you won't need much persuasion. It's Penrith's best place for lunch, cakes and coffee, with a light-filled dining room and a gallery annexe displaying local photography and artwork; lunchtime mains range from turkey and cranberry burgers to homemade soups.
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The Jumble Room
Hidden away on the edge of the village, this boho bistro recently scooped a top national award from Les Routiers, and it's hard not to be swept up in the sheer energy and enthusiasm of the place. Letter-print tablecloths, porcelain knick-knacks and spotty seats are packed into the tiny dining room, and the menu wanders at will from England to the Far East.
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1657 Chocolate House
Got a sweet tooth? Then dip into this chocaholic honeypot, brimming with handmade candies and umpteen varieties of mint cake. Upstairs, waitresses in bonnets serve up 18 types of hot chocolate, including almondy 'Old Noll's Potion' and the bitter-choc 'Dungeon'. Take that, Willy Wonka…
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Gondola
Rescued from dereliction by the NT, the steam yacht Gondola, described by the Illustrated London News as 'a perfect combination of the Venetian gondola and the English steam yacht', was launched on Coniston Water in 1859. The luxurious saloons have been completely refurbished, and the boat runs like clockwork between Brantwood and Coniston Pier.
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