The Lake District is legendary for its breath-taking magnificence and wonderful landscapes; fells and lakes that present a unending playground for us to discover. However because the nights attract and the temperatures start to drop, it’s at all times value having a chilly or wet day different up your sleeve. So why not go to one of many area’s many museums, an opportunity to step again in time and delve into the Lake District’s wealthy historical past? And should you want somewhat inspiration, listed here are ten of our favourites.
Windermere Jetty Museum
Windermere Jetty Museum is situated proper on the shores of Lake Windermere and boasts a surprising assortment of boats and crusing vessels, together with steam launches, record-breaking velocity boats and motorboats.
In addition to displaying a historical past of crusing on Windermere reaching as far again on the eighteenth century, additionally, you will have a possibility to see ongoing restoration tasks.
Vessels embrace Swallow and Amazon, circa 1950, the boat used within the BBC movie adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s well-known e book; Beatrix Potter’s tarn boat, circa 1890; and SL Dolly (circa 1850), the oldest mechanically powered boat on the planet (nonetheless in working order).
Lakeland Motor Museum
Sticking to the transport theme, the Lakeland Motor Museum is residence to over 30,000 displays starting from classic hearth engines to collectible toys. That is an absolute should for any motor fanatic.
The museum is situated in a transformed mill within the village of Backbarrow. Among the many 30,000 or so displays are round 140 traditional automobiles and motorbikes, in addition to a number of different ‘automobilia’. Make a journey down reminiscence lane as you wander via over 100 years of automotive historical past, in addition to some native historical past, genuine recreations and interval procuring shows.
Additionally, you will get to see the exhibition devoted to the work of Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald, who between them set twenty-one land a water velocity information. The exhibition features a timeline of their achievements, in addition to full measurement replicas of the 1935 Bluebird automotive, the 1939 Bluebird boat and the 1967 jet hydroplane, Bluebird K7.
Barrow Dock Museum
Inbuilt an historic 19th century dock, Barrow Dock Museum is residence to an array of objects charting the social and industrial historical past of the Furness space.
Find out about how Barrow started life as a small farming village earlier than remodeling itself right into a bustling industrial centre inside only a few many years.
Since then, this little-explored city has been on the slicing fringe of maritime expertise, the constructing place of submarines, warships and exquisite liners.
The Barrow Dock Museum offers you an opportunity to seek out out extra concerning the fascinating heritage of the realm, in addition to Barrow’s lengthy historical past constructing vessels.
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Derwent Pencil Museum
Sure, there actually is a museum to have a good time the standard pencil and we will guarantee you {that a} journey to the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick is a superb day trip for the entire household.
In your go to, which begins by getting into via a reproduction graphite mine, you’ll be taught that Keswick was the house of the primary pencil and that graphite, used to make the well-known Derwent pencils, was first found in Borrowdale the place farmers used it to mark their sheep.
Having left the ‘mine’, you’ll uncover the origins of the Derwent Pencil firm which started life as a small cottage manufacturing, in addition to some wonderful historic details. As an example, the key pencils which had been used throughout WW2 that include hidden maps; the Queen’s particular Diamond Jubilee Pencil; and miniature pencil sculptures.
End your journey with an image of your self alongside the museum’s showstopper – a large 8m tall pencil.
Laurel and Hardy Museum
Housed in a 1937 artwork deco cinema in Ulverston, the world-famous Laurel and Hardy Museum is considered the biggest assortment of Laurel and Hardy memorabilia. However why Ulverston? As a result of it’s the delivery place of 1 half of the comedy duo – in 1890, Stan Laurel was born only a few streets away in Foundry Cottages, now named Argyll Avenue.
The museum began life as one man’s of pictures which stuffed just a few scrapbooks till the gathering stuffed one small room. The gathering stored rising and these days contains film-worn costumes, letters and even furnishings, in addition to the prospect to observe a few of their movies.
Dove Cottage and Wordsworth Museum
“I wandered lonely as a cloud, that floats on excessive o’er vales and hills, when I noticed a crowd, a number of golden daffodils”.
Arguably essentially the most well-known lyrical phrases penned by William Wordsworth, they had been written in 1804 when the poet was dwelling at Dove Cottage together with his sister Dorothy.
Located on the sting of the village of Grasmere, Dove Cottage was the house of the well-known Romantic poet William Wordsworth and his spouse Mary and his sister Dorothy.
These days the cottage is run by the Wordsworth Belief and provides you an opportunity to expertise the sights, sounds and smells of Dove Cottage. Connected to the cottage is the Wordsworth Museum the place moments taken from his poems and his sister’s Grasmere journal inform the story of their life right here.
Hill High, Beatrix Potter’s Home
Let’s transfer on to a different Lake District legend – Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter is a part of the panorama of the Lake District. Wherever you go, you’re more likely to come throughout one thing linked to the writer, be it Peter Rabbit merchandise or native youngsters’s points of interest.
Hill High was Beatrix Potter’s former residence, purchased with the proceeds from ‘The Story of Peter Rabbit’. Run by the Nationwide Belief, the home is a time capsule of her life within the Lake District and seems as if she has simply popped out for a stroll.
The environment supplied the inspiration for thus a lot of her books – the truth is, ‘The Story of Samuel Whiskers’ was set totally inside the home and lots of the e book’s illustrations match gadgets of furnishings nonetheless current at the moment.
Take a stroll via the gardens and spot the rhubarb patch the place Jemima Puddle-Duck laid her egg, in addition to the backyard the place Tom Kitten and his sisters performed.
Ruskin Museum, Coniston
The Ruskin Museum opened in 1901 as a memorial to author, artist and social reformer, John Ruskin.
Inside you’ll be taught extra about John Ruskin, about what impressed him and the way his thought and concepts have influenced trendy society, together with the creation of the Nationwide Belief and trendy environmentalism.
The museum additionally particulars the efforts of Donald Campbell and his quest to grow to be the quickest particular person on land and water in addition to writer Arthur Ransome who was so taken with the Lake District and the native panorama that he was impressed to jot down ‘Swallows and Amazons’.
Wherever your pursuits lie, from historical past to geology, artwork to engineering, you’ll little doubt discover one thing of curiosity within the Ruskin Museum.
Kendal Museum
Based in 1796 by William Todhunter, Kendal is without doubt one of the oldest museums within the UK. And also you’ll be shocked at what you’ll discover, together with the biggest taxidermy assortment in Europe – you’ll even come nose to nose with an actual measurement polar bear.
In actual fact, Kendal Museum is positively brimming with curios, historic artefacts and informative shows. This smaller scale Pure Historical past Museum has one thing for everybody, together with a number of internationally recognised collections.
It is a customer attraction of distinction – not solely will you be engaged, you’ll be enthralled.
Hawkshead Grammar College Museum
The Hawkshead Grammar College Museum is located within the quaint Lake District village of Hawkshead and provides an perception into what life on the college would have been like for its pupils because it opened in 1585. Amongst these pupils was none aside from William Wordsworth.
Anybody visiting the museum may have entry to the principle classroom, the headmaster’s examine and the upstairs classroom, which is now an exhibition room displaying many desirable objects, books and paperwork regarding the varsity and the individuals who have been related to it through the years.
There are such a lot of fantastic museums within the Lake District and Cumbria, so whittling it down to only ten was a problem. Relaxation assured, wherever you’re within the space, from Whitehaven to Windermere, Carlisle to Keswick, you’ll discover one thing that can pique your curiosity.
Rachael Thomas is Managing Director of Matson Floor Property Firm Restricted, which has various Lake District vacation cottages, together with Birkdale Home. Birkdale Home is a luxurious Victorian residence on the coronary heart of a privately owned property within the English Lake District.
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