Things to do in the Lakes this Summer

Creative Tourist
Culture in South Lakes
Courtesy of Lakeland Arts

15 February — 15 October 2019 Entrance is free

If this summer is all about the staycation, then those based in the North couldn’t be better served, with one of Britain’s largest and most picturesque national parks on their doorstep. But this isn’t just a call for urbanites to escape the big smoke and head into the hills in finer weather, there’s also a fantastic amount going in the region culturally over the next few months, too. We round up some of our favourite things to do in the Lakes this Summer.

Refuge: The Art of Belonging at Abbot Hall is not be missed, highlighting the personal experiences of migration and resettlement in Britain faced by some of the most significant artists of the early 20th century as a result of the Second World War. And to celebrate the 200-year-anniversary John Ruskin’s birth, the stately home turned art gallery will also be hosting a major exhibition offering a rare opportunity to view the leading Victorian art critic, draughtsman and watercolourist’s artistic output alongside that of his hero, the pioneering Romanticist J. M. W. Turner, whom he famously described as ‘the greatest of the age’.

Next door to the hall, Child Labour: Hidden Stories of Cumbria at Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry delves into the little-documented reality of life for many young people growing up in the region from the Industrial Revolution onwards. On the banks of Lake Windermere, the truly spell-binding Blackwell – The Arts & Crafts House is preparing to transform its beautiful stretch of lawn, overlooking the Coniston fells, into Messina, Sicily, ready for an open-air performance of Shakespeare’s timeless classic, Much Ado About Nothing. And lastly, Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories is celebrating the opening of its new model boating lake with a host of child-friendly activities, including the chance to make your own Dreamboat using recycled materials. (The widely-acclaimed museum is well worth checking out in itself, with a remarkable collection of boats that help tell the story of the Lakelands region.)

Pair with a wander up one of the (gentler) fells and a hearty round of afternoon tea and you can’t go wrong.

15 February — 15 October 2019 Entrance is free

Our top picks

Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House

Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House, Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3JT - Visit now

Unlike many of the ‘historic houses’ that dot the English countryside, Blackwell in Cumbria embodies the entire opposite of rarefied stately-home-stuffiness.

Courtesy of Lakeland Arts

Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories

Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories, Rayrigg Road, Windermere, Cumbria, LA231BN - Visit now

A brand-new museum dedicated to the simple, timeless pleasure of boating on the banks of one of England’s largest and most picturesque lakes.

Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories in Cumbria
Courtesy of Lakeland Arts

Where to go near Things to do in the Lakes this Summer

food and drink
Restaurant
Belzan

Belzan is a modern bistro serving delicious food in a relaxed and friendly setting, in an unexpected location.

food and drink
Restaurant
NORD

A Scandi-inspired restaurants that celebrates Northern hospitality, with a seasonal menu made from locally-sourced ingredients.

food and drink
Liverpool
Restaurant
Mahoe Blue

Mahoe Blue is a bar and bistro that serves authentic Jamaican food in a cosy venue in South Liverpool.

music 2
City Centre
Music venue
Rough Trade

The largest of Rough Trade stores, it’s record shop, event space and concert venue in the heart of Liverpool, complete with its own gift shop

exhibition
Wirral
Gallery
Hamilton Vault Studios

A disused bank vault now conceals a unique gallery space and filming location, championing local creatives and their vision.

exhibition
Wirral
Gallery
Lake Gallery

Lake Gallery is an artist-run space in West Kirby, showcasing fine art and contemporary craft in regularly changing exhibitions.

literature
Library
Birkenhead Central Library

Birkenhead Central Library provides books and resources, and welcomes everyone to their community hub in a stunning, historic location.

library
Shop
The Reader, Calderstones Park

The Reader brings people together through a shared love of literature and their home is in the beautiful Calderstones Park in Liverpool.

bar
City Centre
Brewery
Ye Cracke

Hidden in the Georgian Quarter, Ye Cracke is a historic Liverpool pub, known for being John Lennon’s local in his student days

record shop
City Centre
Shop
81 Renshaw

81 Renshaw is a record store in Liverpool city centre, selling new and second-hand vinyl from a location with a long musical history

shop
Lark Lane
Shop
Larks

Larks is a vintage clothing and gift emporium in a bright pink shop where you’ll find a bit of everything, sprinkled with glitter.

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Wolf in Yellowstone
Until
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