North West England Sightseeing, Attractions & Activities Guide

recommended places to visit and things to do throughout N W England


  • 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

  • landmark
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  • viewpoint
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  • architecture
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  • history
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  • local history

This is the iconic Liverpool waterfront landmark with the buildings known as The Three Graces and the popular Beatles sculpture.

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

Albert Dock

Liverpool

  • landmark
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • central location
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  • architecture

former dock at the heart of Liverpool, now rejuvenated with shops and restaurants as well as The Tate Liverpool, The Beatles Story and Merseyside Maritime Museum

  • historic house
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  • sightseeing tour
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  • family-friendly
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  • open year round
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  • pre-booking advised
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  • National Trust
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  • history
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  • music

childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney, now owned by the National Trust, only accessible on a prebooked tour.

  • fortress
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  • ruin
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  • family-friendly
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  • open year round
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  • English Heritage
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  • café
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  • shop
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  • archeology
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  • history
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  • military history
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  • nature
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

high above a meander in the River Irthing, in one of the most picturesque settings on Hadrian's Wall. A Roman fort, turret and milecastle can all be seen on this excellent stretch of the Wall.

  • museum
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  • family-friendly
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  • free admission
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  • open year round
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  • limited opening
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  • virtual tours
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • art
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  • history
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  • local history

collections covering fine art, decorative art, Egyptology, coins, manuscripts, natural history, social history and South Asia with hands on interactive displays for children

  • landmark
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  • family-friendly
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  • free admission
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  • open year round

Six miles of traditional festoons, tableaux and interactive features along the Promenade, commonly known as the greatest free light show on Earth!

  • 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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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • limited opening
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  • shop
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  • science

the only science centre, including museum solely devoted to chemistry and how the products of chemistry are used in every day life - from medicines to meccano, with 4 interactive galleries with over 100 different exhibits to tug, tease and test

  • 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

Lyme Park

Stockport

  • film/tv location
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  • historic house
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  • garden
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  • park
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • National Trust
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  • café
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  • guided tours
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  • shop
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  • antiques
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  • architecture
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  • art
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  • film
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  • furniture
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  • history
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  • social history
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  • TV
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

the quintessential country house, immortalised as' Pemberley' in the BBC's adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice', starring Colin Firth

  • museum
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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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  • café
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  • shop
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  • history
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  • industrial heritage
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  • maritime heritage
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  • social history

Explore Liverpool’s fascinating, diverse history, from port to sport, in this modern, purpose-built waterfront museum.

  • 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

  • garden
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  • seasonal opening
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  • café
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  • nature
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  • walking
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  • wildlife

created from a wetland area around a tranquil pool in a sheltered valley on the edge of Delamere Forest, planted in an informal design with beautiful views across the water

  • 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

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