Lake District Art Galleries

(Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK)



View of local shopsSeveral exceptional art galleries and similar local handicraft attractions present themselves to visitors to the Lake District and really are often a highlight of many a holiday here. The Beatrix Potter Gallery in Hawkshead is a leading attraction in its own right and is filled with some of this famous author's most splendid watercolours.

One of the top cultural attractions within the Lake District, the Blackwell Arts and Crafts House is a particularly beautiful late 19th-century Victorian house and enjoys stunning views across Lake Windermere. Also of note in the Lake District is the Victorian Museum and Art Gallery, which resides within the market town of Keswick and features a true mixture of exhibits.


Blackwell Arts and Crafts House

Address: Blackwell, Bowness-on-Windermere, Lake District, England, UK
Tel: +44 015394 46139
As well as containing an array of decorative arts and antiquities, the Blackwell Arts and Crafts House also features stained-glass windows, landscaped gardens, a tearoom and crafts shops, and a spacious gallery area, where ever-changing exhibitions of both modern and more traditional paintings can be found.
Open hours: daily - 10:30 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for students, children and families

Beatrix Potter Gallery

Address: Red Lion Square, Hawkshead, Lake District, England, UK
Tel: +44 015394 36355
The Beatrix Potter Gallery is easy to find and stands in the very centre of Hawkshead, on the Red Lion Square, within the rooms once actually used by her husband (William Heelis) as offices. This appealing and rather disorderly gallery is home to many of Beatrix Potter's original watercolour paintings, which are softly lit and were used to illustrate a number of her world-famous children's storybooks. Visitor numbers are limited due to its small size, and so a short wait may be required.
Open hours: April to October, Sunday to Thursday - 10:30 to 16:30
Admission: charge

Victorian Museum and Art Gallery / Keswick Museum and Art Gallery

Address: Fitz Park, Station Road, Keswick, Lake District, England, UK
Tel: +44 017687 73263
Located in Fitz Park and founded as long ago as 1873, this attraction was originally opened as part of Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations. Highlights at the Victorian Museum and Art Gallery include Victorian roller skates, an unusual geological piano, original manuscripts by leading poets Robert Southey (1774 to 1843) and William Wordsworth (1770 to 1850), a mummified cat, and various archaeological artefacts. There is also a collection of paintings, a number of which depict the glorious Lake District scenery, having been painted by local artists from the Lake Artists Society, and are displayed within the Picture Gallery section.
Open hours: April to October, daily - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children