Whilst it may be tempting to explore only the towns and villages of the Central Lakes during your time in the Lake District, it’s also well worthwhile investigating those on the edge of, and just outside, the World Heritage Site itself. The small market town of Kirkby Lonsdale is situated in the south-eastern corner of…
Tag: John Ruskin
Will the Lake District become a World Heritage Site?
For some time now, organisations from around the Lake District have been working together on a bid to make the Lake District a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There have been previous bids to achieve World Heritage status over the years, but suddenly the decision on the latest attempt is just around the corner, with the…
Gem hunting in 2016: A look back at the last year on the blog
It’s that time of year again when our TV screens fill with reviews of the past year – the political, the surprising, the sad and the amusing. It therefore seemed a rather nice idea to take a look back over the last year of gem hunting, and revisit some of the standout moments from the…
A stitch in time: The story of Annie Garnett and her Bowness spinnery
Have you ever wondered why the recently opened Arts Bar and Grill in Bowness-on-Windermere was previously a restaurant with the name The Spinnery? It turns out there’s an interesting piece of local history behind the name. Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House, just outside Bowness-on-Windermere, is currently running an exhibition about historic figure and talented…
A house for all seasons: Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House
At the end of the season, a number of the Lake District’s historic houses shut for the winter, however, Blackwell, just outside Bowness-on-Windermere, is an exception that is well worth visiting at any time of year. Blackwell is a famous example of a house from the Arts and Crafts movement, and was built in 1900…
Brantwood, Coniston: A haven of peace and tranquility
Recently I wrote about my rediscovery of the Coniston area after not having visited for some years. I enjoyed the scenery from on board the National Trust’s Steam Yacht Gondola so much that I returned just two days later to visit another of Coniston’s local gems, Brantwood. Brantwood is a house and 250-acre fellside estate…