Museum of Lakeland Life

The Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry sits in Kendal, Cumbria, within the old Georgian stables that once served the Abbot Hall Art Gallery. Opened in 1971 by Princess Alexandra, it soon won the first UK Museum of the Year award in 1973. Managed by Lakeland Arts, the museum explores life in the Lake District from the late 18th century onwards. It occupies a building that has been part of the town’s cultural scene for centuries. The displays bring together stories of local photographers, the Arts & Crafts Movement in the Lake District, and the writer Arthur Ransome. The museum also serves as the registered office for the Arthur Ransome Society. Visitors can see how the region’s landscape and people shaped its identity over time. The exhibits show how everyday life and creativity intertwined in this corner of northwest England. Inside, rooms once used for horses now hold exhibits on local trades, crafts, and literature. Photographs and objects trace the development of the Lake District’s artistic and industrial past. The building itself, with its original stables and later additions, adds to the sense of stepping into another era. Though currently closed for redevelopment, the museum once offered a clear view of how the region’s history unfolded.