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The Ruskin Museum

Polly Checkland Harding

Visit now

The Ruskin Museum

The Ruskin Museum, Coniston, Cumbria, LA21 8DU
01539 441164
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  • Monday10:00am - 5:30pm
  • Tuesday10:00am - 5:30pm
  • Wednesday10:00am - 5:30pm
  • Thursday10:00am - 5:30pm
  • Friday10:00am - 5:30pm
  • Saturday10:00am - 5:30pm
  • Sunday10:00am - 5:30pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Visit now
The Ruskin Museum.
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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.

What's on near The Ruskin Museum

Bumps and Brushes
TourCumbria
Bumps and Brushes at Abbot Hall

Meet other expecting parents and connect with yourself artistically in Bumps and Brushes a relaxed artistic workshop at Abbot Hall.

Free entry
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Where to go near The Ruskin Museum

LawsonParkFarm, courtesy of venue
Cumbria
Bed & Breakfast
Lawson Park Farm Cottage

Award-winning self-catering holiday accommodation that is not only beautiful but also supports the pioneering work of Grizedale Arts.

Brantwood, image courtesy of venue
Cumbria
Museum
Brantwood

The Lake District home of the radical social and cultural thinker, John Ruskin.

Cumbria
Gallery
Grizedale Arts

Grizedale Arts continues to explore the role of art in society from its award winning eco-base near Coniston.

Cumbria
Gallery
Grizedale Forest

Home to 60 site specific sculptures, Grizedale Sculpture in Grizedale Forest near Hawkshead offers a pioneering and permanently evolving environmental arts and adventure programme.

Cumbria
Museum
Hill Top

Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top in 1905 with the proceeds from her first book.

The Merzbarn today, courtesy Littoral Arts Trust
Cumbria
Gallery
Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbarn

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’.

Cumbria
Museum
Wray Castle

A mock gothic castle, far from the usual Windermere crowds, with stunning grounds and a short walk to Claife Viewing station.

Windermere
Tourist Attraction
Brockhole on Windermere

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.

Cumbria
Restaurant
The Gaddum Restaurant

A high-end restaurant in the Lake District, combining traditional British ingredients with original modern ideas.

Cumbria
Restaurant
Fellini’s

Fellini’s does fancy ‘Vegeterranean’ food and films. What better way to treat yourself after a hard tramp in the Lake District?

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Allan Bank, Grasmere, image courtesy of Visit Cumbria
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No trip to Cumbria is complete without a visit to the South Lakes, Coniston and Grizedale among them. Here’s our guide.
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Things to do in Penrith and the Surrounding Area

With the picturesque Lake District to the west and the sweeping ridge of the Pennines to the east, Penrith is a stunning cultural destination.
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Things to do in Kendal

Kendal is a key destination in the Lake District, packed with fantastic places to visit as well as a wide range of high-quality restaurants, bars and pubs.
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Our guide to the best things to do in the beautiful Eden Valley in Cumbria, which stretches from Sedbergh to Penrith.
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Packed with fantastic places to visit and a wide range of high-quality restaurants, bars and pubs, there’s loads to do in Kendal and Sedbergh.

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From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

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Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.