The Ruskin Museum tells the story of Coniston in Cumbria – a place of copper mines and slate quarries, Swallows and Amazons country where Beatrix Potter owned farms and Stone Age fell walkers once dwelled. It’s also home to the Ruskin Gallery, which offers a comprehensive overview of Victorian intellectual John Ruskin’s life and work.
Opening times vary depending on season.
This art exhibit pays tribute to the often forgotten Women’s Timber Corps (1942), who took up axes and saws to help with the war effort.
free entry
Find out how the first tourists to the Lake District (a time before mobile phones, specialist clothing and TripAdvisor reviews) experienced the area, in this fascinating new exhibition.
from £6.00
Offering a brilliant blend of history, art and literature, this expanded exhibition at The Armitt, offers a revealing insight into the artist’s life and work.
from £4.00
Jingle all the way to the Father Christmas Tea Party at a magical winter wonderland.
from £7.50
The explosive Afro-futurist collective Onipa bring their high-octane live show to Brewery Arts in Kendal this December.
from £16.50
Light and Land explores the relationships between people and place in this beautiful exhibition, archiving the ever-changing social and environmental landscapes of Cumbria.
free entry
Signalling a new direction for Abbot Hall, this major solo exhibition will include thirty years of work by renowned landscape artist Julie Brook.
£9.00
Find out what happens when the boy cries ‘WOLF’ in this magical winter production.
from £10.00
Award-winning self-catering holiday accommodation that is not only beautiful but also supports the pioneering work of Grizedale Arts.
Grizedale Arts continues to explore the role of art in society from its award winning eco-base near Coniston.
Home to 60 site specific sculptures, Grizedale Sculpture in Grizedale Forest near Hawkshead offers a pioneering and permanently evolving environmental arts and adventure programme.
The view across to the Langdale pikes is spectacular, and at certain times it’s not unusual to have the place to yourself.
Tucked away in a remote corner of the Lake District is Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbarn, an artistic epitaph to the avant garde ‘godfather of modern art’.
A mock gothic castle, far from the usual Windermere crowds, with stunning grounds and a short walk to Claife Viewing station.
Attempt to hit a clay flying at 65mph or navigate the obstacles along a wood chip track on a Krazy Kart, at this Arts and Crafts style house in Cumbria.
A high-end restaurant in the Lake District, combining traditional British ingredients with original modern ideas.
Visible from miles around the spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Lake District.
Provocative new writing, glitzy burlesque and big budget shows, our theatre guide spans the festive season and beyond.
Keep warm with festive feasts, Hollywood stars and 90s nostalgia across the North's cinemas this December.
It might be curl-up-with-a-book season, but there's lots to get out and about for and plenty of events where you can stock up on new reads.
Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.
Festive frolics, monstrous theatre and magical outdoor adventures all feature in our latest picks of things to do with the family.
While rainy late autumn may not be the most energising of seasons, there is plenty of new art to see and inspire this month!
We're unapologetically entering into the Christmas spirit here at Tours and Activities with some alternative festive fun.
The best food and drink options in Manchester and the North for the upcoming winter months.
