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Are These The Best Lake District Attractions?
It’s a matter of opinion of course, but here are some Lakes Attractions we highly recommend:
For the whole family
Honister Slate Mine and Via Ferrata
A unique award winning experience, you can explore the tunnels of England’s last remaining working slate mine and (clipped to a safety rope) explore the high paths and crags of England’s very first Via Ferrata, taking the precipitous route that ancient miners walked every day to work – it’s stunning, spectacular, and very, very different!
Once you’ve satisfied your taste for advetnture, get some excellent refreshments, take a walk nearby, or explore the slate products in the shop.
Honister Pass, Borrowdale, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 5XN
Tel: 017687 77230 Fax: 017687 77958 Email: info@honister.com Web: www.honister.com
OPEN 7 days a week 9.00am – 5.00pm Daily activities: Mine Tours – Via Ferrata – All Day Pass Packages And FREE entry to the visitor centre & factory trail!
For younger children
See Peter Rabbit and friends in the enchanting World of Beatrix Potter!
The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction is the only Beatrix Potter themed attraction in England, and indeed Europe, and how appropriate it is in Bowness, near the lifelong home of Miss Potter. Children can visit Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck and many other delightful characters for the story books.
The World of Beatrix Potter features all 23 stories by Beatrix Potter, and they are magically brought to life in a wonderful recreation of Lakes countryside (and that means the sights, the sounds and even the smells of the English coutryside!) How about meeting Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor’s garden? Or perhaps discovering Jemima Puddle-duck in her beautiful woodland glade? Of course, there’s more: you can explore the life of Beatrix Potter and her achievements, or look through the shop, which has great gifts. The truly magical World of Beatrix Potter is a high quality, fun experience certain to delight all ages.
The World of Beatrix Potter, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3BX
Email information@hop-skip-jump.com Web: www.hop-skip-jump.com
Phone: 0844 504 1233
For artistic adults & creative children
Abbott Hall Art Gallery
Abbott Hall in Kendal, n the edge of the English Lake District, is certainly one of Britain’s finest small art galleries and offers the visitor important British works and a high quality exhibition programme. Well worth seeing, and beautifully curated by the Lakeland Arts Trust.
Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 5AL
Tel 01539 722464 Fax 01539 722494 email info@abbothall.org.uk Web: www.abbothall.org.uk
Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House
Blackwell is Britain’s finest and best preserved Arts and Crafts house by M.H.Baillie Scott, located near Bowness in the English Lake District. Built, like so many mansions on the shores of Windermere, as a tribute to the wealth of a Victorian manufacturer, this house was treated to every aspect of the Arts and Crafts movement, all of which have been preserved to this day. An astonishing, beautiful house for those with an interest in the style of the turn of the century, with plenty of space to run around out of doors for the kids.
It survives in a remarkable state of preservation with almost all the original decorative features: of special note are some rare and fragile hessian wall-hangings. A real joy of seeing Blackwell is the opportunity to appreciate a wealth of detail, such as leaf-shaped door handles and idiosyncratic window catches to astonishing plasterwork, beautiful stained glass, and superb carved wooden panelling. Carefully furnished with Arts and Crafts furniture and early country-made pieces, the house really illustrates the reaction of the time against the gradual dominance of mechanisation brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Lakeland resident John Ruskin, and designer William Morris, were effectively the originators of the Arts and Crafts movement, which tried to re-establish the status and worth of designer-craftsmen. Blackwell remains an internationally important icon of this gracious and innovative period of British architecture.
Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3JT
Tel 015394 46139 Fax 015394 88486 email info@blackwell.org.uk web: www.blackwell.org.uk
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More Lakes Attractions!
Yew Tree Barn (Low Newton LA11 6JP) is a great shopping experience. It is housed in an oak beamed ancient barn where artists and craftspeople are at work in their studios. Also you can see displays of paintings, photography, antiques, textiles and bric-a-brac. There are different artists every week. When we were there, we saw a demonstration of jewellery making, including ‘have a go’ sessions. Other programmes include ‘making a teddy bear from scratch’, ‘the art of book binding’ and ‘traditional mallet and chisel stonemasonry’. The Gallery has a fantastic selection of stylish, quality designer goods for sale. You can find pieces of art, jewellery, travel bags, accessories, toiletries, books, cards, and more! The designers, as far as possible, make their wares from traditional local products. I liked the range of ironmongery at the ‘From the Anvil’ store with a great display of door knobs, handles, letter plates, door knockers etc. We bought some pewter products and some bronze ornaments but had to pass on some fine looking animal drinking troughs. One of the stallholders, Wilson Reclamation Services, uses reclaimed building materials and sells ironmongery, period fireplaces, multi-fuel stoves and all sorts of functional and decorative pieces for the home. At the back of the Gallery, the Food and Drink Area offers a good selection of local food and drink including Kendal fudge, Kendal Cordials, Elliot’s Chutneys, and Cumbrian relishes.
Honister Slate Mine (Borrowdale CA12 5XN) is a working slate mine open to visitors. It is believed that slate was mined here in the Roman era, although it is possible that it began in prehistoric times. It is known that the mine was working in the 1750s and later it became a major industry. The Lakeland poet, William Wordsworth makes reference to slate quarrying in his diaries. At Honister, you can take a guided tour into the mine and see the stuff being taken from the earth. You also travel along eerie tunnels where the old workings used to be. It is rather spooky but very interesting especially for the kids. At Honister, you can go on an adventure trail called Via Ferrata which is Italian for ‘Iron Way’. It has an Italian name as this system is used extensively in the Apennines. The Via Ferrata follows the route taken to and from work by Victorian miners, except now it is very safety conscious. They use a permanently fixed cable for safety and protection up the rock face of the old miners’ route. You are attached to this system by a harness provided by Honister, and climb independently using the installed system of iron rungs and supports. Full safety instructions are provided and all tours are guided. At the end of the visit you can but slate products from the local store. You can even buy your own slate tombstone!
There are many more interesting places around the Lake District. I will be here again soon with some more.
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Lake District Attractions – Things To Do!
The Pencil Museum (Keswick CA12 5NG) is one of those places which sound really boring but turn out to be more than interesting. Throughout the year, they hold Artist Demonstration events, where the whole family learn art and drawing techniques. We had great fun and were amazed at the techniques that you can acquire in such a short space of time. When we visited the artist was a specialist in woodland mammals and with her instruction, I soon learned to draw a red squirrel using coloured pencils. I wouldn’t say it was perfect but I surprised myself. The artist also gives you a printed booklet to take home containing step by step stages of the drawing. In the drawing zone, kids can have a go with watercolour pencils, learn new pencil drawing tricks and use the step-by-step drawing activity sheets, to help expand their art skills. The museum also runs specialist workshops where adults can expand their knowledge and techniques in a relaxed environment.
Sizergh Castle (Sizergh Kendal LA8 8AE) is an ancient stately home, more of a mansion than a castle. The house stands in a bursting beautiful garden, which includes a pond, a lake and the National Collection of Hardy Ferns, together with a superb limestone rock garden. The Strickland family have lived here continuously since 1239 and you can see their centuries-old portraits alongside modern family photographs. I particularly liked the original wood panelling in the Inlaid Chamber, and the collection of portraits, including James II and his family, who were friends of Sir Thomas Strickland. I also liked the tower with its original floors and collection of items given to the Strickland family by the Stuart kings. Beyond the garden is a 1,600-acre estate which includes limestone pasture, orchards and ancient semi-natural woodland. The kids loved this and we didn’t like to drag them away, so we stayed all day
Windermere Lake Cruises
These old and bew cruisers are a wonderful way to see the lake, and have the remearkable distinction of being the most popular attraction in Cumbria.
Windermere is, as you probably know, England’s largest lake, in the very centre of the Lake District. You can cruise for anything from 45 minutes to 3 hours – and with a Freedom of the Lake ticket, you can spend all day on and around the lake.
Now, a great new idea is the “Park & Sail” ticket. You can park your car at Lakeside, near Newby Bridge, where the car park will cost just £3.50, and buy a Freedom of the Lake ticket that enables you to spend the entire day as you wish, on and around Lake Windermere. Lakeside is the base for the Lakes Aquarium and terminus of the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Steam Railway.
And even better, between May & October WLC operate a ferry across to Fell Foot Park - s an ideal picnic area for the whole family! Besides the space for kids to run around, there’s also an adventure playground and a woodland trail. If you want more exercise, you can hire a rowing boat and explore the shores. All in all, Lakeside makes for a day well spent!
Should you park at Ambleside or Bowness, you’ll have a different experience. Bowness is the heart of the Lake District with plenty of great shops, cafes and restaurants. Ambleside is located under the shadow of some majestic mountains and has a wonderful selection of shops too. But WLC sail from the piers in both towns, and there’s a wide choice of sailings for you to enjoy.
Windermere Lake Cruises Ltd: Ambleside (Waterhead pier), Bowness pier, and Lakeside.
Email info@windermere-lakecruises.co.uk Web: www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk
Phone: 015394 43360
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