Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pitch up and appreciate Abbott Hall's elegant Georgian facade. Its restored high-
ceilinged rooms with ornate cornices and matching period antiques provide an ideal
setting for paintings by local 18th-century portrait painter George Romney. The per-
manent collection also includes 20th-century British works, and there are regular
temporary exhibitions by contemporary international artists.
Kirkland.
&
01539/722464.
www.abbothall.org.uk. Admission £5.75 adults; free for children and stu-
dents 25 and under. Mon-Sat 10:30am-5pm (until 4pm Nov-Mar). Closed mid-Dec-mid-Jan.
Kendal Museum
MUSEUM Kendal Museum might be one of England's old-
est museums, but it has refreshed its content with interactive exhibits that bring local
history to life. Try on Roman shoes, explore local life 500 years ago via touch-screen
computers, then make a medieval-style tiled floor. The natural history section travels
from mountaintop to lakeside, and the World Wildlife Gallery displays a vast collec-
tion of exotic breeds. Don't miss the Alfred Wainwright exhibition; the fells' best-
known visitor, he walked, talked, and wrote with a passion and flair about the Lakes
until his death in 1991.
Station Rd.
&
01539/815597.
www.kendalmuseum.org.uk. Free admission (to end of 2011). Thurs-Fri
noon-5pm; Sat 10:30am-5pm.
Levens Hall & Gardens
HISTORIC SITE Elizabethan pele towers are common
in Cumbria, but few are in such a fine setting. Transformed into a mansion in the
1500s by James Bellingham, the house still has many original features, including the
oak-paneled entrance hall and Elizabeth I's coat of arms above the drawing room
fireplace. After strolling through the 17th-century
topiary garden,
orchard, and herb
garden outside, enjoy hot food made from local produce in The Buttery.
8 Levens Park, Levens (4 miles south of Kendal).
&
01539/560321.
www.levenshall.co.uk. Admission
house and gardens £12 adults, £5 children 5-16, £28 family ticket; gardens only £8.50 adults, £4 chil-
dren, £21 family ticket. Apr-mid-Oct Sun-Thurs noon-5pm (gardens from 10am). Last admission
4:30pm.
The Quaker Tapestry
ARTS & CRAFTS This isn't just any old display of
needlework. The embroidered panels, which tell the history of the Quakers, were
made by over 4,000 men, women, and children worldwide. They depict founding
Quaker George Fox, Quaker preacher/missionary Mary Fisher (1623-98), and their
role as stretcher bearers in World War I, among other charitable acts. Vegetarians will
love the fresh, healthful options at their adjacent tearooms.
Friends Meeting House, Stramongate, Kendal.
&
01539/722975.
www.quaker-tapestry.co.uk. Admis-
sion £6.50 adults, £2 children 5-16, £2 adult with toddler, £14 family ticket (2 adults, 2 children). Late
Mar-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-5pm (and some Sat in summer); Quaker Tapestry Tearooms close at 4:30pm.
Sizergh Castle & Garden
CASTLE A large courtyard leads to Sizergh Castle's
entrance, where children can pick up quiz sheets that draw them into the castle's
Elizabethan carvings and family portraits of the Strickland family, who have lived here
for over 750 years. Chat with the guides to hear tales of priests who were disguised
as artists but secretly said Mass during the Reformation. It's worth making time to sit
beside the ponds and wildflowers in the rockery garden, and take in the 14th-century
pele tower from the wide lawns.
Insider tip:
Come in the fall to see the show of fiery
colors climbing the castle walls.
Sizergh, 3
1
⁄
2
miles south of Kendal (northwest of interchange A590/591).
&
01539/560951.
www.
nationaltrust.org.uk. Admission house and gardens (including gift aid) £8.45 adults, £4.30 children 5-16,
£20 family ticket (2 adults, 2 children); gardens only £5.50 adults, £2.85 children. Mid-Mar-early Nov
house Sun-Thurs 1-5pm; shop and gardens Sun-Thurs 11am-5pm.
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