Cumbria is a scenic North West England county famed for the Lake District, historical castles, and vibrant cultural heritage, attracting millions of visitors annually.
8 Oct, 15 Oct…
Explore the Browne family’s 17th-century recipe book at Townend, where a volunteer in period costume discusses its food, medicine and household recipes. Food recreated by the living history team is displayed but cannot be tasted.
Townend is a 17th-century historic house in Troutbeck, Cumbria, owned by the National Trust. It offers insight into the life of a wealthy farming family and is a Grade I listed building open to the public for tours.
7–9 Oct, 12–16 Oct…
Join a guided tour through Sizergh’s garden to learn about its history and development, current and future projects, and seasonal highlights.
Sizergh Castle is a Grade I listed stately home and historic house museum in Cumbria, England, featuring Elizabethan and Georgian architecture with notable oak interiors and portraits. Visitors can explore both the castle's historic indoor spaces and its extensive outdoor gardens and estate, which includes the largest limestone rock garden held by the National Trust.
10–11 Oct, 17–18 Oct…
Visitors can sample ripe apples from Acorn Bank’s collection of 165 varieties, while volunteers share information about the apples and their history. The tasting takes place in the courtyard near the café.
Acorn Bank Garden & Watermill is a National Trust property near Penrith, Cumbria, featuring an extensive garden of medicinal and culinary herbs, orchards of old English fruit varieties, and a restored watermill powered by the Crowdundle Beck stream.
7–8 Oct, 11–15 Oct…
A 45-minute outdoor walk around the perimeter of Wray Castle, where a member of the Wray team shares stories about the estate’s history, notable guests and future plans.
7 Oct
A practical Woodmatters evening workshop in which attendees make their own shave horse, a tool used to hold wood steady while shaping it with a drawknife or spokeshave.
7–8 Oct, 13–15 Oct…
War Comes to Westmorland explores the Jacobite Rebellion through the stories of Old Ben Browne and George Browne of Townend, showing how the conflict affected the Lake District.
7 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027 (another 173 days)
An outdoor exhibition at Wray featuring enlarged photographs by Rupert Potter, Beatrix Potter’s father. The images show Victorian family life, travel, leisure and landscapes connected with the Potter family’s time in the Lake District.
7 Oct–13 Dec (another 65 days)
Visitors explore Hill Top to spot needle-felted mice and miniature scenes inspired by Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Two Bad Mice.
7 Oct, 10–14 Oct…
A permanent exhibition at Allan Bank explores how William Wordsworth influenced the Lake District. Visitors can see large-scale photographs of landscapes featured in his writing, alongside a first edition of his Guide to the Lakes and later guides.
Wray Castle is a Victorian neo-gothic castle in Cumbria with extensive grounds featuring rare trees, part of Windermere shoreline, and historic connections to Beatrix Potter. It is managed by the National Trust and offers both indoor tours and outdoor exploration, including public access to the grounds year-round.
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
An exhibition by documentary photographer Joanne Coates exploring the lives and work of women in agriculture, with photographs and landscapes from South Lakeland and other rural areas.
Levens Hall is an Elizabethan manor house in Kendal, Cumbria, known for its historic interior and extensive, world-famous topiary gardens dating from the 17th century. Visitors can explore the house and gardens, enjoy the picnic areas, cafe, and shop, with facilities suitable for children and wheelchair access.
7 Oct, 10–14 Oct…
Visitors use the Stranger Folk mobile app to follow a guided quest through Allan Bank’s grounds, completing magical tasks and encountering creatures from British folk tales.
7–8 Oct, 13–15 Oct…
A volunteer-led, 45-minute guided tour explores the history of Townend, the Browne family and the people and objects connected with their home. Some sessions include an additional focus on the library or a historical food display.
Number Seven Church Street is a classic Lakeland cottage located in Wordsworth country, Ambleside, Cumbria, offering charming historic accommodation with limited accessibility and free parking for visitors. Access requires payment even for Historic Houses members.
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
A family trail along the Holeslack accessible route, exploring the world of soil and the life found underground. Visitors can pick up a trail map at the Visitor Centre.
8 Oct
Participants carve a trough bowl from local greenwood using traditional hand tools, with guidance from Woodmatters.
8 Oct, 13 Oct…
A 45-minute guided tour through Sizergh House, where volunteers introduce key people and events from the house’s 800-year history.
9 Oct
A volunteer-led 7km walk around Malham Tarn explores the landscape’s formation and local history, including stories of glaciers, cave men, monks and drovers. The route follows grassed paths and estate tracks, with stops to hear about points of interest and a lunch break.
Malham Tarn Estate in the Yorkshire Dales offers extensive outdoor experiences including a National Nature Reserve with boardwalks, diverse walking trails, and natural wildlife habitats. It is dog friendly, offers scenic countryside and woodland walks suitable for families, and provides mobility support through Tramper hire.
8–9 Oct, 12–16 Oct…
Join a guided tour through Sizergh’s garden and plant collection. Guides discuss the garden’s history and development, current and future projects, and seasonal highlights.
7 Oct, 10–14 Oct…
An exhibition about printmaker Gwyneth Alban Davis and the printing business she ran from a caravan in Langdale in the late 1940s. Visitors can explore her life and work, with printing activities available for adults and children.
7 Oct–13 Dec (another 65 days)
Explore Beatrix Potter’s creative process behind The Tale of Two Bad Mice through her manuscript, sketches, finished artworks and a restored dolls’ house. Visitors can watch animations and a conservation film, use interactive lighting and handle a replica dolls’ house.
7 Oct, 10–14 Oct…
Tracy Hill’s site-specific art installation explores the role of fungi and lichen in shaping the environment and understanding climate change. Visitors can experience the installation in the house gallery.
7 Oct, 10–14 Oct…
An exhibition by artist Kathryn Poole brings together flower paintings, botanical etchings and lithographs of foxgloves from the grounds of Allan Bank. The works explore the foxglove’s life cycle, regeneration and the contrast between its poisonous and medicinal qualities.
Grasmere is a small lake in England's Lake District, known for its connection to poet William Wordsworth and its scenic natural surroundings. The lake allows private and hire rowing boats but prohibits powered boats. It features one island now owned by the National Trust and offers picturesque views from surrounding areas.
9–10 Oct (another 1 day)
A volunteer-led guided tour exploring Acorn Bank’s industrial heritage, including its woodland paths and working watermill.
10 Oct, 17 Oct…
A free weekly 5km parkrun at Fell Foot where participants can walk, jog or run, volunteer, or spectate. The event is welcoming and has no time limit.
7–20 Oct (another 11 days)
An immersive exhibition in Sizergh’s Great Barn featuring work by local and national artists inspired by soil.
Halecat is a historic Georgian house set in scenic woodlands and gardens in Cumbria. Visitors can explore the house's grand interiors and enjoy the natural beauty of the estate's broadleaf woodlands and meticulously designed formal gardens, including a listed gazebo. The site offers facilities for children and is part of the Witherslack Estate, popular with walkers and wildlife enthusiasts.