Take a trip back in time and explore ancient ruins, heritage centres, historic houses and gardens.
Explore four floors of inspiration in this vibrant arts and heritage centre at Farfield Mill, a restored Victorian woollen mill near Sedbergh. See heritage displays, working looms, regularly changing exhibitions, craft demonstrations, art and craft for sale by resident and visiting artists, workshops and events - plus delicious food in Weavers Café....more
The Dent Heritage Centre has a wealth of information on the working lives and social customs of the Dalesfolk who inhabited this beautiful area in times past.
‘Fox's Pulpit’ at Firbank where George Fox, a founder of the Quaker movement, addressed over a thousand people from a large rock on the fellside in 1652. Then go on to see the Quaker meeting house at Brigflatts which dates from 1675 and is the oldest Quaker meeting house in the North of England. It retains many of the original oak furnishings in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity.
The Elizabethan mansion Levens Hall contains fine furniture, paintings, a fine example of Spanish leather wall coverings, the earliest English patchwork, Wellingtoniana, clocks and miniatures. The garden dating from 1694 includes the world famous topiary. There is a collection of steam road vehicles some of which which may be steamed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Explore the ruins of Pendragon Castle on the banks of the River Eden in the Vale of Mallerstang. Legends claim that the castle was founded by Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur, who is said to have unsuccessfully tried to divert the river to provide its moat.
Join a 2 hour guided walk led by Robert Willan to discover the intellectual history and vibrant cultural centre of Sedbergh. Or join one of his "Town & Country" walks encompassing either Farfield Mill Heritage Centre or Brigflatts Quaker Meeting House.
Walk the Sedgwick Trail in Garsdale to explore the fascinating geology of the Dent Fault, a major fracture in the Earth's crust formed about 290 million tears ago. Leaflets for this 1 mile trail are available from the Sedbergh Tourist Information office.
Sheepfolds is a Cumbria County Council sculpture project created by the internationally acclaimed artist Andy Goldsworthy. Instead of making new Sheepfolds Goldsworthy worked with existing folds in various states of disrepair or in some cases folds which had disappeared altogether but were clearly indicated on old maps. Many of these sheepfolds can be found in or near the Howgills.
The Settle-Carlisle railway, considered to be the most scenic railway in England, was constructed in the 1870s and is regarded as one of the culminating symbols of Victorian enterprise and engineering. The line passes through the eastern side of the Howgills with stations at Dent (the highest mainline station in England), Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen. The station buildings and viaducts (including the impressive Ribblehead viaduct) are wonderful examples of Victorian railway architecture at its best.
Sizergh Castle, a Tudor house built around a 14th century solar tower, is set in 17 acres of garden which has been allowed to evolve and expand gradually over 300 years and is still being developed to this day. The National Trust house and gardens are open to the public.
See the unusual and colourful series of stained glass windows in St Gregory's Church at Marthwaite near Sedbergh. The small church was built in the early 1860's by a local landowner to provide a church for the navvies building the nearby railway. The church was altered and enlarged in the 1900's when the stained class windows were added depicting river scenes, trees and plants, as well as birds and animals found locally.
Cumbria Classic Coaches specialise in running classic vintage buses and coaches. They have a fleet of six buses, which operate timetabled service routes, and two vintage cars. The buses and cars are also available for private hire.