Local Attractions

There's always plenty to do in the local area, even on a rainy day...

Attractions

Kendal Castle: now a ruin but still worth a visit as it offers panoramic views over Kendal.

Kendal Museum: A museum of natural history and archaeology

Museum of Lakeland Life, Kendal:  takes you back through time to tell the story of the Lake District and its inhabitants

Holker Hall, Cartmel: Home to Lord and Lady Cavendish, Victorian wing, glorious gardens and parkland.

Dove Cottage, Grasmere: Wordsworth's most famous home where he lived from 1799 to 1808

Levens Hall, Nr Kendal: Elizabethan mansion and world famous topiary gardens.

Hilltop, Hawkshead: 17th-century house where Beatrix Potter wrote many of her famous children's stories.

Lakes Aquarium, Newby Bridge: Explore worlds of watery fun at Lakes Aquarium. Discover otters, pike, perch and char aswell as marmoset monkeys, caiman and British sharks and rays

Blackwell, Bowness: One of Britain's finest Arts & Crafts houses, situated in a stunning setting overlooking lake Windermere

Rheged, Penrith: offers a range of sights and things to do from shops and restaurants to theatres and playgrounds

Sizergh Castle, Nr Kendal: Medieval House with Tudor additions surrounded by a superb garden and large estate.

Lakeland Motor Museum, Backbarrow: Over 100 years of motoring history, the Campbell Bluebird exhibition, IOM TT tribute display and the Leven Valley heritage centre

Lakeside & Haverthwaite railway: Steam trains running a seasonal daily service from Haverthwaite to Lakeside via the Leven valley.

Arts and Culture

Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal: one of Britain's finest independent art galleries in a beautiful setting beside the river Kent.

Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal: 450 capacity music venue, three cinemas, two visual arts galleries, drama studio, darkroom facilities, meeting rooms, great restaurant/cafe/bar.

The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness: lively annual season of music, theatre, comedy and film starts in August to December.

Zeffirellis and Fellini’s, Ambleside: offers the complete evening out - you can wine and dine, see a film and then watch some live jazz in the jazz bar

Theatre by the Lake, Keswick:  year-round professional producing and presenting theatre

Shopping

Westmorland Shopping Centre, Kendal: Numerous well known shops, indoor market and cafes.

Kendal town centre: pedestrianised shopping area with well known high street names, plus specialist shops.  Markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays plus farmers market last Friday of the month.  

Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside offer numerous outdoor and specialist shops.

Hayes Garden Centre: large garden centre, aquatics centre, pet shop, gifts, home ware etc plus café.

Supermarkets are few mins drive from Dairy Cottage.

Food and Drink

Choice of pubs, restaurants and cafes in Kendal, plus numerous country pubs in the South Lakes area.