Cumbria Sightseeing, Attractions & Activities Guide

recommended places to visit and things to do in Cumbria


  • historic house
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  • garden
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • architecture
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  • ceramics
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • local history
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  • social history

19th century Arts & Crafts house, originally built for wealthy brewer, with spectacular interior and lake views

The World of Beatrix Potter

Bowness-on-Windermere

  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • Beatrix Potter

series of dioramas showing scenes from all the famous children's books, including Peter Rabbit's garden and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle's Laundry

Acorn Bank

Temple Sowerby

  • garden
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  • seasonal opening
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  • National Trust
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  • shop
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  • nature
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

a delightful sheltered garden, with a partially restored watermill, renowned for its herbs and orchards, growing old English fruit varieties, and planted with over 250 medicinal and culinary herbs

  • fortress
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • English Heritage
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  • shop
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  • architecture
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  • history
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  • military history
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  • royalty

a formidable fortress spanning some 900 years of conflicts and sieges. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned here for some 19 years

  • place of worship
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • shop
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  • architecture
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  • history
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  • local history
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  • social history
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  • religion

dating back to the twelfth century with a long and turbulent history with excellent stone carvings and medieval stained glass windows

  • museum
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • art
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  • history
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  • local history
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  • social history

local graphite mining led to the growth of the pencil industry. The museum gives an in depth guide to pencils and pencil making down the centuries

  • leisure facility
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • visitor centre
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  • sport
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  • walking

producing the famous Westmorland Green Slate, which has been extracted for centuries and offering a wealth of adventure experiences

Jennings Brewery

Cockermouth

  • brewery
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • limited opening
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  • shop
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  • architecture
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  • history
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  • industrial heritage
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  • local history
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  • social history

this traditional brewery has nearly 200 years of brewing experience using pure Lakeland water drawn from the brewery’s own well

  • museum
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  • tourist railway
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • pre-booking advised
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  • shop
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  • transport
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  • trains

historic narrow gauge railway, located in the Western part of the Lake District National Park with two main stations, Ravenglass and Dalegarth

  • art gallery
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  • museum
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • art
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  • fashion
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • music

houses considerable collections of fine and decorative art, human history and natural sciences as well as holding a wide range of temporary exhibitions

Wordsworth House

Cockermouth

  • historic house
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  • garden
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • seasonal opening
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  • National Trust
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • poetry

Wordsworth's birthplace and family home, presented as it would have been when he lived here with his siblings and family servants

Bridge House

Ambleside

  • historic house
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  • open year round
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  • external view only
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  • National Trust
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  • architecture
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  • history
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  • local history

this quirky, little house on Stock Beck, dates back to the seventeenth century. It has been painted and photographed many, many times

  • historic house
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  • museum
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • guided tours
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  • shop
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  • history
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  • local history
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  • social history
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  • poetry

Wordsworth's home for over 8 years and where he wrote many of his famous poems, retaining much of the original furniture and ephemera

Fell Foot

Newby Bridge

  • park
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  • viewpoint
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  • family-friendly
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  • open year round
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  • National Trust
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • nature
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  • photography
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  • sport
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

7 hectare park with mountain views across Windermere, wild play area and multiple activities on and off the lake for all ages and abilities

  • historic house
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  • museum
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • pre-booking advised
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  • National Trust
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  • guided tours
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  • shop
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  • Beatrix Potter
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • local history
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  • social history
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  • literature

surrounded by a picturesque garden, Beatrix Potter's beloved farm house was the source of inspiration for many of her famous stories

  • museum
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • shop
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  • film

started as a small private collection, which quickly outgrew its original premises, this new, spacious museum was opened in 2009

Whinlatter Forest Park

Whinlatter Pass

  • natural landscape
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  • family-friendly
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • café
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  • cycling
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  • nature
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  • photography
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  • sport
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  • walking

Whinlatter is home to stunning views, fantastic walks, exhilarating mountain biking, rare wildlife and adventure play

  • archeological site
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • English Heritage
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  • archeology
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  • history
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  • local history

constructed about 3000 BC, one of the earliest stone circles in Britain having commanding views over the surrounding countryside

  • natural landscape
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  • family-friendly
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • World Heritage Site
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  • café
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  • cycling
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  • nature
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  • photography
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  • sport
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

explore the forest on two wheels, foot or horse back, discovering the unique sculptures dotted throughout the forest on the way

  • museum
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • seasonal opening
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  • guided tours
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • local history
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  • social history

dating back to the sixteenth century, a unique collection of historic artefacts relating to the ancient school and its pupils

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