The Armitt Centre
built to house remarkable collection of books and
artefacts assembled by the intellectual Armitt sisters. Includes Beatrix
Potter's watercolour paintings of fungi, which were part of her serious
scientific studies. Also historical artefacts, local history records,
artworks and items connected with many eminent local people including
Harriet Martineau, John Ruskin and Kurt Schwitters. Small attraction. Open Mons-Sats 10am-4.30pm,
last admission 4pm, library 10-4pm £3.50, concessions, students £2.80, children 5-18 £1.50,
families (up to 3 children) £8 local residents £2. Just
off centre of Ambleside on A591 to Rydal, opposite large car park. Rydal
Road, Ambleside LA22 9BL 015394 31212
Email Us
web site
Brockhole Lake District Visitor Centre
interactive exhibitions, adventure playground, gardens, cafe, shop, visitor
information, activities rowing boats and canoes for hire, pre-book on 015394
41366 or email conistonbc@lake-district.gov.uk. Lakeshore setting, off the A591
halfway between Windermere and Ambleside. Mid-size attraction, more with
activities. Admission free, parking £2.20 for 2 hours, on bus route and daily
launch from Ambleside (return fare £6.75, children 5-15 £3.40 families £18.50 runs from April 9 to end October). Windermere LA23 1LJ
015394 46601
Email Us
web site
Holehird Gardens
Lakeland Horticultural Society 10-acre hillside garden with national collections of astilbe, hydrangea and polystichum ferns.
Walled garden large borders, hillside stream garden and more. Some plants for sale. Open daily dawn to dusk.
Small attraction. Admission and parking free, £3 donation asked. Patterdale Road, Windermere LA23 1NP from A591 Windermere
to Ambleside Road, follow brown sign and at mini-roundabaout onto A592 for 1 mile. 015394 46008
Email Us
web site
World of Beatrix Potter Attraction
child-size models of all of Beatrix
Potter's 23 tales for children with sound and smells, virtual walks in
author's footsteps and Peter Rabbit Garden. Shops, tea room. Open daily
10am-5.30pm, winter 4.30pm. Closed Christmas Day and also for one week end Jan/beginning Feb £6.75, children £3.50. Families £18. £30 pass admits 2 adults and 2 children as often as you like for a year with discounts in shop and tea-room, newsletters, special offers and membership activities Small attraction. Crag Brow,
Bowness-on-Windermere LA23 3BX 015394 88444
Email Usweb site
Townend
Traditional Lakeland home of a statesman, or independent yeoman farmer. Built in 1626 for George Browne and his new bride,
it remained with the family until 1943 when it transferred to the National Trust. Kept as the Brownes had it with furniture
made especially for the family and many household goods kept for decades by the frugal Brownes. N of Windermere on minor road
off A591signposted at Troutbeck Bridge.LA23 1LB. Small attraction. Open Mar - end Oct, Wed-Sun 11am-5pm £4.50, children £2.25, families £11.25 015394 32628
Email Us
web site
Hill Top
Beatrix Potter's home. Scenes from books can be identified, many of author's belongings as she left them, garden planted
with her favourite flowers, herbs and vegetables. Popular attraction, timed entries, often sold out, advance booking not possible,
parking can be difficult. Shop and gardens always available. Small attraction. House open daily except Fridays (open Good Friday): mid-Feb to end March 10.30am-3.30pm; April to Spring Bank Holiday weekend 10.30am-4.30pm; Spring Bank to beginning Sept 10am-5pm; Sept to end Oct 10.30am-4.30pm. Last admission 30mins before closing. Garden open every day: mid Feb-beginning April 10.15am-4pm; April to Spring Bank 10am-5pm; Spring Bank to Sept 9.45am-5.30pm; Sept to end Oct 10am-5pm; end Oct to Christmas 10am-4pm
£7, children £3.50, families £17.50, garden and shop free. On B5285 2 miles S of Hawkshead in village of
Near Sawrey LA22 0LF 015394 36269
Email Usweb site
Beatrix Potter Gallery
17th C building, formerly office of her solicitor husband, William Heelis. Exhibitions of original Potter art. Small
attraction. Gallery open Sat to Thur 10.30am-4.30pm, shop daily 10am-5pm. House open daily except Fridays (open Good Friday): mid-Feb to end March 11am-3.30pm; April to Spring Bank Holiday weekend 11am-5pm; Spring Bank to beginning Sept 10.30am-5pm; Sept to end Oct 11am-5pm. Last admission 30mins before closing, limited number of timed tickets.
£4.60, children £2.30, families £11.50. Main Street, Hawkshead, LA22 0NS,
centre of village next to Red Lion pub. Tel. 015394 36355
Email Usweb site
Low Wood Watersports and Activity Centre
recognised training centre for Royal Yachting Association, British Canoe Union and British Water Ski,
registered with The Adventurous Activities Licensing Service to provide watersports. Free parking. Open April 1 - Oct 31, winter sessions by arrangement.
Changing rooms, showers, equipment hire, equipment and refreshment shop. Learn to sail, or paddle a kayak or canoe.
Boat hire. Working within National Park guidelines and Windermere 10 nautical mph speed limit, Lake District's
only waterski centre. Uses modern waterskis, wakeboards, kneeboards and wake-surfers, Mastercraft waterski
boats and British Water Ski training techniques. Sample prices 2 hours sailing instruction for 1-2 people in a Laser Bahia £85; 2 hours' hire of Wayfarer sailing dinghy for 1 or 2 people £38; 1 hour waterski lesson and use of all equipment and wetsuit £69 (observes speed limit). Includes instruction and equipment. 2 miles N of Windermere
village on A591 on E shore of Windermere. LA23 1LP 015394 39441
Email Us
web site
Heaton Cooper Studio
Gallery and art shop with changing exhibitions of paintings, sculptures and prints from four generations of the famous Heaton Cooper family of artists. Small attraction. Broadgate, Grasmere
LA22 9SX. Open Monday to Saturday 9am-5.00pm, Sunday 11am-5.30pm British Summer Time closing 5pm.
35280 free admission.
Blackwell
holiday home of wealthy Manchester brewer completed in 1900, designed by Arts and Crafts architect MH Baillie Scott with much interior
decoration surviving. Nationally important design at crossroads of
Victorian and modern architecture. Now an applied arts and crafts gallery
run by Lakeland Arts Trust as sister gallery to Abbot Hall in Kendal.
Permanent collection and changing exhibitions, shop, tea room. Small
attraction. Open daily 10.30am-5pm, Nov to March 4 pm £7, children and full-time students
£4, families (2 adults up to 4 children) £18 1.5 miles S of
Bowness-on-Windermere LA23 3JT on the B5360, off the A5074 Kendal Road.
Signposted from A592 Newby Bridge to Bowness road. Tel. 015394 46139
Email Usweb site
Homes of Football Exhibition
This attraction has closed and the exhibits have moved to the National Museum of Football
Dove Cottage
the Wordsworth Museum and Art Gallery home of William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy, and later his wife Mary and the first
three of their children, between 1799 and 1808. Where much of Wordsworth's
best poetry and Dorothy's journals and many letters were written. Also
many illustrious guests including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Thomas de
Quincy and Sir Walter Scott. Much of the house as the Wordsworths left it
with many of their household items and portraits, plus the garden restored
to the Wordsworth's design. Also Museum and art gallery dedicated to the
Romantic movement in British poetry and art with collection and
exhibitions of international importance. Family activities and special
events in holidays. Small attraction. Ticket covers guided tour of Dove
Cottage, admission to Wordsworth Museum and Art Gallery, exhibitions,
parking. Open daily March 1 to Oct 31 9.30-5.30pm, last admission 5 pm. Winter closing 4.30 pm last admission 4pm. Closed from early Jan to early Feb £7.50, children £4.50,
under 6s free, families (1-2 adults, 1-3 children) £17.20 Town End,
Grasmere LA22 9SQ on A591 Kendal to Keswick Road, just E of village of
Grasmere. Tel. 015394 35544
web site
Windermere Lake Cruises
The most popular attraction in Cumbria on England's largest lake. The classic sight on the lake is one of the white
3-deck 'steamers' Swan and Teal cruising from Lakeside at the S end of the
lake to Bowness-on-Windermere in the centre and Ambleside in the N.
Mid-size to big attraction. The company also runs the elegant 2-deck Tern
and a number of smaller boats and launches for shorter journeys. Typical
price: round the lake from any pier £16, children (5-15yrs) £8 family £44.
Bowness and Ambleside are signposted from A591 and Lakeside from A590 post
codes LA23 3HQ (Bowness), LA22 0EY (Ambleside) and LA12 8AS
(Lakeside). Tel. 015394 43360