20 Attractions to Explore Near Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead is one of the National Trust‘s more unusual properties in that it has an interesting link with Beatrix Potter herself. On display are original sketches and watercolors painted by Potter for her children's stories as well as artifacts and information relating to her life and work. The display changes annually. The 17th-century building is listed as grade II. It was at one time the law office of Potter's husband, William Heelis. Its interior remains substant

South Lakes Safari Zoo is home to over 1,000 of the rarest and most endangered animals in unique natural environments which enable you to get as close as physically possible to experience the amazing creatures with which we share our planet. The zoo provides an inspiring, informative, and authentic wildlife experience, increasing public understanding of animals, conservation and the role visitors can play in protecting biodiversity.

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.

Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories is a brand new major Lake District attraction. It opened its doors in spring 2019 following a £20m development of the site of the former Windermere Steamboat Museum. Its seven buildings house vessels dating back 200 years, including the SL Dolly, thought to be the oldest mechanically-powered one in the world.

A magnificent Elizabethan mansion built around a 13th Century pele tower, which was expanded and rebuilt towards the end of the 16th Century. Both the Hall and the gardens are open to the public. The core of this delightful Elizabethan manor is a pele tower built in 1350 as a defence against Scottish raiders. One of the iconic attractions in this area and it attracts a lot of tourists here.

It is a massive 60-ft pele tower at the heart of Sizergh – built by the Strickland family in c.1350. The castle was substantially expanded in the sixteenth century and, despite participation in the Pilgrimage of Grace and supporting the Jacobite cause, the Strickland family retained ownership until the twentieth century. One of the iconic attractions and also you can spend a nice time there.

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.

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.

Windermere River House is an example of beauty and luxury. It sits on two acres of the lush garden right on the banks of the Periyar River, and the loudest sound you’ll hear is the splash of water or the call of a bird. The evergreen forests that surround it host some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, waiting to be explored. It has been one of the country's most popular places for holidays and summer homes since the arrival of the Kendal and Windermere Railway's branch line in 1847.

One of the beautiful spots that are most visited in Lakeland. Its sheer beauty surrounded by thick woodland and views towards Wetherlam, the Helvellyn range, and the Langdale Pikes. Tarn Hows is fed at its northern end by a series of valley and basin mires and is drained by Tom Gill which cascades down over several small waterfalls to Glen Mary bridge: named by John Ruskin who felt that Tom Gill required a more picturesque name and so gave the area the title 'Glen Mary'.