Museums - or what to do when it rains!

Many people think the Lake District simply has its lakes, valleys and mountains, souvenir shops, hotels and pubs, but in fact there are several interesting museums in the area - ideal for those rainy days!

The town of Kendal boasts several museums, including one illustrating ‘Lakeland Life and Industry’ which is an excellent introduction to the Lake District National Park. It has period farmhouse rooms and workshops showing how Lakeland people lived and worked, and also a recreation of the study of Arthur Ransome, the author of the ‘Swallows and Amazons’ children’s stories.
Another museum in Kendal is dedicated to Lakeland’s natural history and archaeology, and in the Quaker Meeting House, there is the 'Quaker Tapestry' - 77 panels of tapestry, each illustrating some aspect of Quaker history.

Near to Windermere is the Steamboat Museum which has a large collection of Victorian and Edwardian steamboats, dating from about 1850 to 1910. There’s also a boat (called Dolly) which is said to be the oldest mechanically propelled boat in the world, with its original engine still in working order. The museum also has Beatrix Potter’s rowing boat. Originally privately owned, the museum was taken over by the Lakeland Arts Trust and is currently being restored and rehoused in new buildings.

Two museums are dedicated to Beatrix Potter: Hill Top, the 17th century farmhouse where she once lived which displays some of her pictures, and also her furniture and some personal possessions, and the Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead, in the building which was previously the office of the local lawyer, William Heelis, who became her husbands. His office has been reconstructed and other rooms display some of her drawings for her children’s books.

Just outside Grasmere is Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum. The cottage, once the home of Wordsworth, displays some of his personal belongings together with contemporary furnishings. The garden has been restored to the half-wild state that the poet loved, and an adjacent barn is a museum with various artefacts relating to Wordsworth’s life and times.

In Coniston, there is a museum originally commemorating the life of John Ruskin, with various exhibits linked to his life. The museum has been extended to include other aspects of life in and around Coniston, including the copper mines, farming and other local industries. Brantwood, Ruskin’s former home overlooking Coniston Water, is also filled with many of his former possessions. The house also has beautiful gardens overlooking the lake.

So when it's raining in Lakeland (which it does fairly frequently!), there are still many interesting places to visit - even though you might get soaked running from the car park!