20 Attractions to Explore Near South Lakes Safari Zoo

Furness Abbey was once the largest and wealthiest monastery in north-west England. A place of prayer, piety and pilgrimage, the abbey was also a major landowner, its abbot occupying an important place in the administration of the region. Its buildings are witnesses to the lives of the monks who worshipped and lived there between the 12th and early 16th centuries.

The Dock Museum is a unique building in a stunning coastal setting built within a Victorian Graving Dock. Incorporating three floors, the original Victorian dock provides an impressive backdrop to the galleries. It was focusing on the shipbuilding industry at VSEL, the steelworks industry — of which Barrow once had the world's largest, the Furness Railway, and the World War II bombings of the town.

Walney Island, juts out into the Irish Sea off the west coast of England and is connected to Barrow in Furness by Jubilee Bridge over Walney Channel. Walney is the largest island of the Furness Islands group and has a population in excess of 10,000. The island remained rural until the growth of Barrow-in-Furness' industries in the nineteenth century. In particular, the development between 1867 and 1881 of docks at Barrow Island, in Walney Channel opposite Walney, encouraged the growth of Walney

This small fifty-acre island off the coast of Barrow in Furness can be accessed by passenger ferry from Roa Island or by guided walks across the sands at low tide and hosts its very own King, Castle, and Pub, all steeped in history waiting to be discovered by you. The island is within the administrative boundaries of the mainland town of Barrow-in-Furness and is owned by the people of the town, having been given by the Duke of Buccleuch in the early 20th century.

Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway is a majestic, beautiful and old-fashioned steam train line offering spectacular countryside views in the Lake District. The train runs from Haverthwaite Station to the southern tip of Lake Windermere. The line was served by local passenger trains which started their journey at Ulverston on the FR's mainline from Carnforth to Barrow-in-Furness. It offers a beautiful and picturesque train journey with a cruise on the immense lake.

The Lakeland Motor Museum is a museum that houses a collection of classic cars, motorcycles, bicycles, pedal cars and motoring related items and memorabilia. Explore our fascinating collection of over 30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the twentieth century - cycles, motorbikes, motor cars, and automobilia.

The National Trust's Fell Foot Park, is a fantastic place for active family holidays. The attractive seven hectare grounds are open throughout the year for you and your family to enjoy. It is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of modern life and its lawns offer a place where families can relax, picnic and play in safety.

The Lakes Aquarium is an aquarium in the village of Lakeside on the southern shore of Windermere. It has a plethora of strange and wonderful aquatic wildlife, as well as a small selection of land-dwelling creatures. The attraction is now owned by Spanish leisure company Parques Reunidos, who own and operate 67 parks across the world.

One of the extensive working mill produced literally millions of wooden bobbins vital to the Lancashire spinning and weaving industries. It is the only working bobbin mill left in the Lake District today. It is now a small Visitor Attraction with guided tours, steam weekends and a gift shop selling bobbin-related products.

A beautiful lake located in a picturesque location which is about half a mile down from the village, where you can hire boats and bikes from Coniston Boating Centre. There are shops, pubs, and places to eat in the village, and a range of guest houses, B and Bs and holiday cottages in Coniston and nearby. More recently Coniston Water was used to transport slate and ore from the many mines worked in the Coppermines Valley above Coniston village. It has three small islands, all owned by the Nationa

The Stone Jetty is a jetty in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It was built by the North Western Railway in 1853 as a wharf and rail terminal for both passenger and cargo transport. The former station building with adjoining lighthouse stand on the jetty and are Grade II-listed. The jetty was resurfaced and partly rebuilt in the 1990s as part of coastal defence works, which was combined with the installation of public art and sculptures.

Brantwood is a historical house, museum and centre for the arts, also offering a wedding venue and self-catering accommodation with views over Coniston. It was the home of John Ruskin, one of the greatest figures of the Victorian age. Ruskin was a poet, an artist, a critic, a social revolutionary and a conservationist.

The Statue of Eric Morecambe in Morecambe, Lancashire, England is a commemorative bronze sculpture of Eric Morecambe. It was sculpted by Graham Ibbeson, the sculpture is a little larger than Eric was in real life, and is surrounded by the Eric Morecambe stage, where some of his great catchphrases are embedded into the floor, designed by Graham Young.

The Old Man of Coniston is one of the best named fell walks in the Lake District. It has an allure to hikers that goes beyond its unique title. Towering over the small town of Coniston, the fell draws the eye immediately. Starting off above the village of Coniston with views out to Coniston Water and beyond, it climbs through old quarry workings, perhaps a stop at Low Water for a breather before the last section to the summit.

The Ruskin Museum opened in 1901 to celebrate the life, work, and influence of the Victorian cultural and social pundit, John Ruskin. It holds important Ruskin collections, including watercolors, drawings, sketchbooks, crystals, and personalia. The museum is a registered charity in England & Wales, constituted as The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum.

Grizedale Forest is in the heart of the Lake District between Windermere and Coniston. Head for Hawkshead and climb up into the fells, enjoying the feeling of truly being off the beaten track and surrounded by forests and woodland. Popular amongst enthusiasts of outdoor pursuits the forest is brimming with opportunities for adventure, whilst those who prefer gentler activities will enjoy peaceful woodland walks and a trip to the café.

Leighton Moss RSPB reserve is a nature reserve in Lancashire. It boasts the largest reed bed in northwest England and is home to a wide range of spectacular wildlife including otters, bearded tits, marsh harriers, egrets, and red deer. Enjoy spectacular views from the nine metre-high Sky Tower and a year-round programme of events for all ages. Free wheelchair and motorised tramper hire.

Hill Top is a 17th-century house in Near Sawrey near Hawkshead, in the English county of Cumbria. It is an example of Lakeland's vernacular architecture with random stone walls and slate roofs. The house was once the home of children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter who left it to the National Trust. It is a Grade II* listed building.

A beautiful natural 280-acre private water situated in the heart of the English Lake District with excellent facilities for boat or bank fishing. The lake has a mean depth of 6.9m, covers an area of 0.96km² and its drainage area forms part of the larger Windermere catchment. It is designated both as a Natural England Site of Special Scientific Interest and as a Ramsar Convention site on account of its diverse macrophyte community and the well developed hydrosere at the northern end of the lake.

Blackwell mansion is one of England’s most important surviving houses from the turn of the 20th century and is a superb example of Arts and Crafts movement architecture, with most of the original decorative interiors still intact. Almost all of Blackwell’s original features survive, along with immaculate furniture and beautiful decorative flourishes. With a peaceful, tranquil setting and tremendous views over Windermere and the Coniston Fells, the house never fails to inspire.