Brantwood
Full Day
This full-day all-inclusive tour will take you through lush, pastoral countryside of the Yewdale Valley to the shores of Coniston Water for spectacular views of the lake and Coniston Old Man. From here the road climbs up the fellside to beautiful Brantwood where you can spend the day exploring the house, 8 gardens and estate trails . Entry to both the house and gardens are included in the tour. You will also have time to take a cruise across Coniston Water (not included in the tour price) to the village of Coniston. For those who aren't good sailors, the tour minibus will be available to drive you around the lake to Coniston village.
Your day starts with a drive from Ambleside down the Yewdale Valley. Much of the land and farms in this area were acquired by Beatrix Potter when she bought the extensive Monk Coniston Estate. In 1929, when she was 64 years old, the Monk Coniston Estate came up for sale. The estate consisted of 2500 acres of land around the head of Coniston Water. It consisted of the well-known beauty spot Tarn Hows, seven farms including Yew Tree, Boon Crag, High Arnside, High Tilberthwaite and High Yewdale, as well as cottages, quarries and open fell land. She sold the half containing Tarn Hows to the National Trust, and bequeathed the rest of the estate to the Trust in her will.
As we drive down the leafy, winding country lanes we pass a particularly interesting property. Yew Tree Farm has been much photographed, drawn, and filmed. Its most picturesque feature is the spinning gallery along the front of the old barn. It was used for drying rather than spinning the wool of the Herdwick sheep. Such galleries were not uncommon until the early 1900's, but since then have become something of a rarity.
We stop briefly for a photo opportunity at Yew Tree Farmhouse which is partly of 17th Century date or earlier, with a new end added in 1743. This date, and the initials of the then owner, George Walker, are cut in the ironwork of the front door. The farm gets its name from the yew tree which was believed to be 700 years old when it blew down in 1896.
The farmhouse may look rather familiar to some of you as we drive past, it was used as the location for Hill Top, Beatrix Potters house, in the 2006 film "Miss Potter" starring Renée Zellweger in the lead role.
Continuing on our journey, we soon arrive at the shore of Coniston Water and pause briefly to admire the view down the lake and more photos. From here it is a short drive up the narrow, winding road to the Brantwood Estate.
Your entrance to Brantwood House and its glorious gardens are included in the tour. Here your guide will be available to help you to explore the house, gardens, Blue Gallery and Severn Studio and a modern version of Ruskin's own slate lithophone displayed in the Linton Room by yourselves.
Inside the house there is a small gift shop and the delightful Terrace Café is in situated what used to be Ruskin's coach house. Here you can enjoy a delicious selection of creative and seasonal dishes whilst experiencing the breath-taking views over Coniston Water and the sublime Old Man that inspired some of John Ruskin's finest art and writing. He described the view as "on the whole, the finest view I know in Cumberland or Lancashire" and when you see it, you will agree.
You can enjoy Brantwood without knowing who John Ruskin was but if you are curious, he was famous as a writer, artist and social reformer. Many great thinkers have been influenced by Ruskin's ideas, including Leo Tolstoy, Gandhi, Marcel Proust, Henry James, Kenneth Clark and Oscar Wilde to name but a few. He was a champion of J.M.W. Turner and a great influence on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
A celebrity in his own lifetime, Ruskin's ideas have never lost their power or relevance, his writings and lectures covering art, education, our connection to nature and a belief in co-operation rather than competition.
Ruskin influenced the formation of many organisations and social programmes which we now take for granted and which add greatly to providing opportunity for all, economic and social justice and a better, mre diverse quality of life.
The house offers a fascinating insight into the world of John Ruskin and is filled with many fine paintings, beautiful furniture and Ruskin's own personal treasures, retaining the character of its famous resident.
Brantwood remains a place of inspiration. Displays and activities in the house, gardens and estate reflect the wealth of cultural associations with Ruskin's legacy - from the Pre-Raphaelites and the Arts and Crafts Movement to the founding of the National Trust and Welfare State. Brantwood is a registered museum, but is still kept very much as a home. The house affords a unique opportunity to look into the daily life of one of England's most important social and cultural figures. The atmosphere at Brantwood is special, and because so many of Ruskin's possessions remain, it feels as if the man himself has just stepped out into the garden!
Brantwood has unique and beautiful mountainside gardens, set in a 250 acre wood estate with spectacular views over Coniston Water and the fells beyond. 'Brant' is Norse for steep, and Brantwood's steep woods were first worked by Norse invaders in the ninth century. With a stunning diversity of flora and fauna, these ancient semi-natural woodlands comprise half the 250 acre estate. Elsewhere the estate ranges from lakeshore meadows to high, open fell.
You will have plenty of time to explore the gardens and estate throughout the day. There is seating dotted about throughout the gardens and, as they are situated on the fellside, the paths are rated easy gradient with few steps, moderate gradients/steps and steep gradients/steps. These paths are not paved and are made from rough stones and gravel. The major gardens are:
The Harbour Walk was laid out by Ruskin's cousin, Joan Severn, as a formal walk, framed by sweetly scented azaleas that still bloom today. It borders the apple orchard grown particularly for its flowers, and the wild daffodil field beloved of Ruskin.
The Trellis Walk, with its fine herbaceous planting, traces the historical significance of plants in British culture, from medieval times, via William Morris and the Victorians, to the present day.
The Hortus Inclusus is an enclosed garden of British native herbs, laid out in the form of a medieval manuscript.
It explores the uses of over 200 herbs by habitat according to medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and aesthetic uses.
The High Walk was created by Ruskin's cousin, Joan Severn, to provide a spectacular viewing terrace of some of the finest Lake District scenery. Its neatly mown levels, colour and scent contrast with the Maple Walk below and the rugged fells beyond.
The Professor's Garden was Ruskin's favourite garden. It represented the lowly mountain crofter's plot and was dedicated to plants which were good for both body and soul.
In it is the bee 'penthouse' and above is the slate throne of Ruskin's Seat.
The Fern Garden is a maze of over 250 different types of British native ferns which thrive in the woodland climate of Brantwood. The garden surrounds the ice house which was built in a cave excavated by local miners.
The Moorland Garden was the site of a visionary experiment in upland agriculture, long since abandoned. It features terraces fashioned from the natural forms of the land and two resevoirs.
The Zig-Ziggy is based upon designs first sketched by Ruskin 130 years ago, and is said to represent Dante's Purgatorial Mount.
Fully realised today in contemporary form, it allows you to begin your tour of the gardens by making an allegorical journey to Paradise!
You may wish to explore the nearby lake and village. Your guide will explain how to board a boat for a cruise around the lake or across it to the village. There is a harbour and jetty at Brantwood which makes this easy. There is a regular boat service or you may wish to catch the Steam Yacht Gondola for a trip on the lake in Victorian style. Boat trips are optional and not included in the tour price. The tour minibus will be available to take you around the lake to the village should you prefer not to go by boat.
At five miles long, and with a maximum depth of 184 feet, Coniston Water is the third largest of the lakes. It provided an important fish source for the monks of Furness Abbey who owned the lake and much of the surrounding land in the 13th and 14th Centuries. More recently Coniston Water was used to transport slate and ore from the many mines worked in the Coppermines Valley above Coniston village.
The Victorian philosopher John Ruskin bought Brantwood house to the east of the lake in 1871 declaring the view over the lake to 'The Old Man of Coniston' to be 'the best in all of England'. Also, Arthur Ransome based his children's books 'Swallows and Amazons' on Coniston Water.
Sir Malcolm Campbell chose Coniston for his attempt at the water speed record in 1939, which he achieved at over 141 miles per hour. On his death, his son Donald Campbell took up where his father left off. His aim was to better 300 miles per hour, which he did on 4th January 1967, but the craft, 'Bluebird', shot up into the air and disappeared into the lake. Until early in 2001, his body had never been found. On 8 March 2001, Bluebird was raised from the bed of Coniston Water, on 28 May the remains of what was later proved to be Campbell's body were brought from the lake. A memorial service was held in Coniston church on 12 September 2001, and his body buried in the churchyard.
At the end of the day, the tour bus will collect everyone from Brantwood and Coniston for the return journey to the first of the drop-off points at Ambleside.
This is a full day all-inclusive tour to Brantwood House on the shores of Coniston Water in the heart of the Lake District National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You will have an experienced driver for your safety on those steep, narrow and twisty Lakeland roads.
You will be accompanied all day by a knowledgeable guide who can answer your questions and point out all the interesting things along the way.
You will be part of a small group of up to six people so that you get the best, most enjoyable and personalised experience possible.
The English Lake District weather can change quickly, even in the summer months. Please bring a waterproof coat with a hood in case of rain or windy weather.
As there is some walking involved on the tour, some uphill at various gradients and on stepped, uneven or wet terrain, please wear suitable, comfortable shoes.
This tour is not suitable for children under the age of 5.
We also have a Coniston tour which is an a scenic half-day tour around the Coniston and Langdales area which will appeal to those who enjoy the grand panoramas and spectacular vistas of the Lake District countryside. As the title suggests this tour will give you a wider view and better understanding of the landscape in this part of the Lakes, taking you to the beauty spot of Tarn Hows and to the Langdale range of fells. You can find out more about this tour here.
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We can accept bookings up to 30 minutes before the departure time from your chosen pickup point, provided that we have availability.
You will not need to print anything out. Just book, read the confirmation email and wait at the pickup point!
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