This Kendal butcher has grown to accommodate a farm shop and café, The 2 Sisters, as well as a delivery service supplying many of the best foodie outlets of the Lakes. What’s more, they are influencing the bigger supermarkets too – including ASDA, which has encouraged Plumgarths to set up a locally sourced section in its Kendal store. Credit where it’s due.
Experience the art of Abbot Hall in a hands on and creative way with their monthly Sketch and Stroll tours.
from £0.00
Lancaster Literature Festival, or Litfest to its friends, is rolling out its 46th programme, having created a variety of events for its audiences since 1978.
from £3.00
Step into the majestic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for an experience like no other. With stunning architecture, live music and treats galore, Afternoon Tea here is highly recommended.
from £60.00
Come face to face with SEA LIFE Blackpool’s hungriest resident. This unique experience gives you the chance to feed Phoenix the green sea turtle and learn about this endangered species.
from £75.00
Poetry at the Dusty Miller is a now regular night with invited readers, organised by Carcanet-published Carola Luther and Judith Willson in the Coiners’ Room in the Mytholmroyd pub.
free entry
Discover Rochdale’s rich history on this guided tour, featuring the newly restored Town Hall, St Chad’s Church, and the Pioneers Museum.
from £20.00
Bradford celebrates its rich musical landscape with a two-day sonic journey led by Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller, Charles Hazlewood and Paraorchestra.
free entry
The freshly refurbished National Science and Media Museum reopens with an exhibition of David Hockney’s photographic and video ‘joiner’ works.
free entry
Light fittings, lamps, crystal ware, and furniture small to large: the Antiques Emporium in Kendal has it all.
Scout Scar is a 771ft tall hill with an awe-inspiring cliff-edge and views over Kendal and beyond – ideal for walkers with stronger stamina.
Another Weigh is Kendal’s own zero waste food shop – bring your own containers, fill them, and pay by weight.
An independent lifestyle store, with carefully curated homeware, furniture, toys and gifts, whose designs are all sourced from independent artists.
Kendal Museum houses an impressive collection of artefacts, both historical and natural, from Neolithic treasures through to beautiful animals.
A 12th century ruined castle built atop a formidable drumlin, offering stunning views and photo opportunities.
Quirky little coffee shop nestled on one of Kendal’s oldest streets, the cobbled New Shambles. Famous for charming décor and extra-friendly staff.
Eat where the locals go in this hidden-away treat.
A vast hotel housed partly in a fascinating former industrial building, the Riverside looks directly over the River Kent.
Fell Bar is an outlet for the Fell Brewery and a great independent venue in itself, with a broad range of connoisseur-level craft beers.
You’ll find cosy rooms and a welcoming bar and restaurant serving down-home cuisine. Located in the centre of Kendal near all major attractions.
The Joshua Tree is a family-run, homely bistro and restaurant housed in a sixteenth century building, specialising in coffee and exquisite fish and meat dishes.
Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.
We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.
We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.
With these lighter, brighter days and warmer temperatures, it's really starting to feel like summer here in the North West!
Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring.
Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.
Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month
Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.
