Lakes Aquarium

Near Townend

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.

Near War Comes to Westmorland

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.

2 miles from Heysham Coast

Heysham Coast is a sandstone headland near Morecambe featuring the ruins of the early medieval St Patrick's Chapel and unique rock-cut graves. Visitors can enjoy scenic walks through coastal grassland and woodland with spectacular views over Morecambe Bay and the Lake District.

Near Ambleside Roman Fort

Ambleside Roman Fort offers visitors the chance to explore the ruins of a significant Roman fortification from the 1st or 2nd century AD situated on the shore of Lake Windermere in Cumbria. Managed by the National Trust, the outdoor site features remains of defensive walls, gates, barracks, and other Roman structures, providing insight into Roman military presence in Britain. The site is accessible to the public and is an important historic and archaeological attraction within the Lake District National Park.

2 miles from Townend Guided Tour

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.

Located in Ambleside

Ambleside is a picturesque market town in the Lake District National Park, known for its historic sites, riverside setting by Windermere lake, and outdoor activities such as hiking, mountaineering, and mountain biking.

2 miles from Holker Hall & Gardens

Holker Hall & Gardens is a 25-acre estate featuring formal and woodland gardens, including a romantic Sunken Garden, a wildflower meadow, and the National Collection of Styracaceae. Visitors can enjoy plant sales, refreshments, and scenic mown paths through vibrant herbaceous borders and natural parkland.

Near Holehird Gardens

Holehird Gardens is a 10-acre fellside garden featuring spectacular views over Windermere, diverse plant collections, woodland walks, and a walled garden. Visitors can enjoy national plant collections and new accessible paths amid wildflower meadows and herbaceous borders.

2 miles from Taste of Townend

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.

Located in Windermere

Windermere is a Cumbria town within the Lake District National Park known for its proximity to Windermere lake and scenic surroundings, offering rail and bus access, local amenities, and boat trips on the lake.

Near Piel Castle

Piel Castle is a Grade I listed 14th-century concentric-style castle ruin located on Piel Island off the coast of Cumbria. Visitors can explore the ruined keep, inner and outer baileys, and enjoy views over the local harbour. The site is managed by English Heritage and threatened by ongoing coastal erosion.

Near Rayrigg Hall

Rayrigg Hall is a Grade II* listed Tudor and Georgian private family home on the shores of Lake Windermere, offering scenic gardens, historic architecture, and notable past residents. Visits are by appointment with light refreshments available, providing a unique glimpse into historical architecture and gardens.

2 miles from Wray Grounds Tour - Walk & Talk

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.

Near Eskdale and Duddon Valley

Eskdale and Duddon Valley in Cumbria offer scenic outdoor experiences with riverside and woodland walks, waterfalls, and historic sites including a Roman fort. The valleys provide opportunities for walking, cycling, and enjoying dramatic mountain landscapes in a peaceful rural setting.

Near Stagshaw Garden

Stagshaw Garden is a woodland garden in Cumbria managed by the National Trust, famous for its shrubs including rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias, providing a scenic outdoor experience.

Near Pages from the Potter Family Album

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.

3 miles from Stott Park Bobbin Mill

Stott Park Bobbin Mill is a 19th-century working bobbin mill museum in Cumbria, showcasing historic wood turning machinery including a steam engine and water power, operated by English Heritage.

Near Frontierland, Morecambe

Frontierland Western Theme Park was a historic amusement park in Morecambe, Lancashire, operating from 1909 to 1999. It featured classic roller coasters, flat rides, and the Polo Tower observation tower, becoming a popular seaside attraction before closing and being redeveloped into retail outlets.

Located in Morecambe

Morecambe is a historic seaside town in Lancashire known for its Victorian and mid-20th century heritage as a popular seaside resort, with cultural landmarks, live music venues, and events.

3 miles from Sizergh

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.

3 miles from House Taster Tours

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.

3 miles from Hardknott Roman Fort

Hardknott Roman Fort is an archaeological site featuring the ruins of a Roman fort built in the 2nd century, located on a rocky spur in Cumbria's Lake District. Visitors can explore remains including fort walls, a granary, a bath house, and a large parade ground with scenic views over the Eskdale valley.

2 miles from Fell Foot

Fell Foot Park is a National Trust country park at the southern end of Windermere in Cumbria, offering lakeside walks, historic boathouses, boat and kayak hire, a café, a playground, and seasonal ferry links to Lakeside station.

2 miles from Windermere and Troutbeck

Windermere and Troutbeck is a National Trust property in Cumbria featuring natural landscapes around Windermere lake, historic farms including Beatrix Potter's Troutbeck Park, and sites like Ambleside Roman Fort and Bridge House.

3 miles from Pets to Page: The Tale of Two Bad Mice

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.

2 miles from Swarthmoor Hall & Gardens

Swarthmoor Hall is a 17th century country house renowned as the birthplace of Quakerism, featuring historic rooms open for viewing, set in extensive gardens with a wildflower meadow, a barn café, and a small gift shop. It offers a blend of indoor heritage and outdoor natural beauty for visitors.

Near Claife Viewing Station and Windermere West Shore

Claife Viewing Station and Windermere West Shore offer stunning panoramic lake views from a historic viewing platform with coloured glass, combined with extensive outdoor walking and cycling trails along England's largest lake. Visitors can enjoy a cosy café, wildlife, and family-friendly activities in a beautiful natural setting with accessible lakeshore paths.

3 miles from Mischief in Miniature

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.

2 miles from Cartmel Priory Gatehouse

Cartmel Priory Gatehouse is a medieval building in Cumbria that served as part of the Augustinian Cartmel Priory and later a grammar school. It is now owned by the National Trust with limited public access to the Great Room on certain days.

3 miles from Warton Old Rectory

Old Rectory, Warton is a free-to-visit ruin of a 14th-century rectory near Lancaster, showcasing historic architecture and medieval manorial court history under English Heritage protection.

Near Hawkshead and Claife

Hawkshead and Claife is a National Trust property in Cumbria featuring the historic town of Hawkshead, Claife Viewing Station with unique colored glass rooms offering views over Windermere, and nearby Wray Castle. Visitors can enjoy walking and cycling along the lake shore and explore notable historic sites within the woodland and village areas.

Near Allan Bank

Allan Bank is a Grade II* listed historic villa in Cumbria, England, known for its connection to William Wordsworth and other literary figures. Located in the Lake District, it offers both indoor historical house exploration and outdoor garden experiences with red squirrels. The property is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.

Near Wordsworth the Influencer

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.

Near Windermere and Footprint

Footprint in Windermere, Cumbria, is an educational centre housed in the first straw bale building in the region, offering pre-booked outdoor learning sessions, green woodworking, bushcraft courses, and family activities in a woodland and pasture setting. The site features wheelchair accessible facilities and indoor and outdoor experiences in nature.

3 miles from Shap Abbey

Shap Abbey is the ruins of a former Premonstratensian monastery in Cumbria, featuring a large tower and visible building outlines. Visitors can explore the historic outdoor site with free public access.

Near Borrowdale

Borrowdale is a scenic valley in the English Lake District National Park, known for its picturesque river, surrounding fells, and historic graphite mining. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful natural landscape and explore several villages within the valley.

2 miles from Wray

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.

3 miles from Levens Hall

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.

3 miles from Guided Walk: Prehistoric Sizergh

12 Oct, 19 Oct…

Join a guided walk to Sizergh Fell to explore traces of the area’s prehistoric and Roman past, alongside its grassland, wildlife and views over Morecambe Bay. The walk lasts around two hours.

2 miles from Buttermere and Ennerdale

Buttermere and Ennerdale is a National Trust property in the Lake District featuring expansive fell and common land, lakes, farms, and woodland, offering a natural outdoor experience.

3 miles from Ravenglass Roman Bath House

Ravenglass Roman Bath House is a well-preserved ancient Roman bath house ruin in Cumbria, England, part of a 2nd-century fort. Visitors can explore outdoor remains of walls and structural features accessible by a disability-friendly walking route.

2 miles from Halecat

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.

2 miles from Number Seven Church Street

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.

3 miles from Hodbarrow

Hodbarrow is a peaceful nature reserve situated on a coastal lagoon and grassland overlooking the Duddon estuary, popular for birdwatching and wildlife observation with wheelchair accessible paths and no entry fee.

Near Hill Top, Cumbria

Hill Top Farm is a 17th-century historic house museum in Cumbria, England, that was once home to Beatrix Potter. Visitors can explore the preserved interior rooms furnished as in Potter's time and enjoy the surrounding garden maintained in the style of her illustrations. The venue offers a unique insight into the life and works of the beloved children's author in a picturesque Lakeland village setting.

2 miles from Hest Bank At Morecambe Bay

Hest Bank at Morecambe Bay is a nature reserve known for its extensive mudflats supporting a rich variety of birdlife including waders, ducks, and geese. Visitors explore open outdoor spaces to enjoy birdwatching with facilities like nearby parking and a cafe, but no toilets or formal trails on the site.

2 miles from Beckside House

Beckside House is a rare small northern gentry Georgian house dating from 1767, featuring a well-preserved interior and contemporary garden with formal lawn and beck-side walk, open to visitors by prior appointment mainly in August and holiday periods.