A guide to Cumbria & the Lake District
historic houses & gardens

Holker Hall, Gardens & Lakeland Motor Museum Holker Hall, Grange-Over-Sands, Cumbria - England Holker Hall is the home of Lord and Lady Cavendish and is situated close to the village of Cartmel in South Lakeland, Cumbria. Holker Hall combines the magnificent Hall its self, the award winning gardens and the Lakeland Motor Museum which includes an exhibition dedicated to Donald Campbell's world record breaking attempts.

Levens Hall Elizabethan House & Topiary Gardens Levens Hall, Kendal, Lake District, Cumbria - England Home of Hal and Susan Bagot, Levens Hall has been in the same family for over 700 years. The Levens dwelling was built in 1350 by the de Redman family as a defence against the Scottish Raiders. Levens Hall has been expanded over the centuries until the final work was finished in 1820. Today visitors can see the Elizabethan rooms including the dining room with its embossed Cordova leather wall-coverings, and many elegant bedrooms. The hall is also well known for its various tales of ghostly happenings. Probably the most famous part of Levens Hall are the world famous Topiary Gardens at Levens which have remained unchanged for over 300 years since Monsieur Guillaume Beaumont first laid them out around 1688. On Sundays and Bank Holidays throughout the season, a 6" scale traction engine called "Little Gem" provides visitor rides round the grounds.

Mirehouse - Historic House and Gardens near Keswick Mirehouse, Keswick, English Lake District, Cumbria - England, UK Mirehouse was built in 1666 and has been owned by the Spedding family since 1668. The house is situated 4 miles north of Keswick in the Northern Lake District close to Bassenthwaite Lake. Families and especially children are very much encouraged to visit and members of the family are often on hand to help guide visitors around the house. Inside the house there is an impressive collection of period furniture and portraits as well as some usual manuscripts from James Spedding's collection. These manuscripts include letters by William Wordsworth, Tennyson, Southey, Thomas Carlyle and John Constable as well as family friends down the ages. Outside the Mirehouse gardens have been restored over the past 40 years since the present owner took over in 1961. Parts of the garden date back to 1784 and the Rhododendrons and Hydrangeas have been planted over the past hundred years. The woods feature four adventure playgrounds and there is a circular mile long walk around the estate along the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake. The Old Sawmill Tearoom offers a welcome rest serving up traditional Cumbrian cooking including homemade cakes, scones, sandwiches and hot dishes. Among the favourites are The Old Sawmill Special (a large Cumberland sausage in a roll with apple sauce served with salads) and warm sticky gingerbread with rum butter and cream. Finally, Mirehouse provides a wide range of educational facilities for school groups. School visits can be aranged throughout the year and the tours are especially helpful for National Curriculum History key stages 1 & 2 and Geography key stage 1. For further information on Mirehouse, click on the title above to visit the Mirehouse Web site.

Muncaster Castle, Gardens & Owl Centre Muncaster Castle, Revenglass, Cumbria CA18 1RQ - England Muncaster Castle is situated in the South Western Lake District and has been home to the Pennington family since 1208. The castle its self contains a large variety of artefacts collected over the centuries by the castle's occupants. These include a painting by Gainsborough, Henry VI's drinking bowl and the most ornamental dinner service the Derby factory ever made. Th gardens present a selection of 3 gardens, the Terrace Walk, the Sino-Himalayan Walk and the Nature Walk which gives a glimpse into olde England's countryside. Muncaster is also home to the World Owl Trust and boasts one of the finest owl centres in the world. From March to November the trust organises talks and owl flying displays (weather permitting) with the opportunity for visitors to take photographs of these magnificant creatures.

Rydal Mount - Former home of William Wordsworth Rydal Mount, Ambleside, Lake District, Cumbria - England William Wordsworth lived at Rydal Mount in the Lake District for 37 years between 1813 - 1850 and is often known as his "most beloved home'. Rydal Mount now belongs to Wordsworth's descendants and contains a collection of portraits, personal possessions and first editions of Wordsworth's works. The Rydal Mount gardens consist of fell-side terraces including "Dora's Terrace" with views over Lake Windermere, Rydal Water and the Lake District fells.

Lake District Homes & Gardens

Lake District Museums

Lake District Transport Guide

Lake District Marine Guide

Lake District Visitor Centres

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www.cumbria.uk.com - A guide to Cumbria & Lake District activities

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