Brantwood and Lawson Park

(L) Brantwood, (R) Lawson Park

Brantwood

This is the former home of John Ruskin, a famous Victorian writer and artist, and now a museum, showcasing Ruskin’s life and work. There are eight unique gardens continuing the many radical experiments in horticulture which Ruskin began.

The lower garden connects the house to the lake where Ruskin’s cousin Joan Severn created the harbour walk. The most important garden Ruskin created at Brantwood is the Zig-Zaggy garden as an entrance to the whole estate.

The High Walk creates a vista across the lake to the Old Man of Coniston, providing easy access to some of the greatest scenery in the Lake District.

Lawson Park

Lawson Park has stunning uninterrupted views of the lake, Coniston village and the Old Man of Coniston Mountain from the ancient upland meadow, an area which adjoins the Brantwood Estate.

The gardens have been developed around the converted barn and farmhouse since 2001 by Karen Guthrie, and contain ornamental gardens, orchards, vegetable gardens and site-specific sculptures. This is a challenging place to garden with rainfall of 1.7 to 2.0 metres per year and a short growing season.

Uncultivated areas are carefully managed to sustain an extraordinary range of wildlife, which includes red and roe deer, squirrels, stoats, foxes, pine martins, newts, grass snakes, slow worms, lizards and many species of birds. Lawson Park was featured on Gardeners World on Friday 3 November.

NB. ‘Brant’ is Old Norse for steep, and so the gardens and woodland have varying levels of gradient; appropriate footwear for a walk in the countryside is recommended.

Programme

10.00am. Meet at Brantwood (in Terrace Restaurant).
12.00pm. Head to Lawson Park, a short walk from Brantwood.

Address and directions

Brantwood, East of Lake, Coniston LA21 8AD.

Exit the M6 at Junction 36. Join the A590 in the direction of Kendal. Exit at the Brettargh Holt junction. At the roundabout take the first exit signposted for Barrow-in-Furness. Continue to follow the signs for Barrow-in-Furness. At the Meathop roundabout take the second junction exit towards Barrow-in-Furness. At the next roundabout (junction with A592) take the first exit continuing on the A590. Turn right onto the A5902 signposted for Workington, Whitehaven. Turn right onto the A5084 signposted for Coniston. Turn right onto the A593 inTorver. Follow the signs for Brantwood from the village of Coniston. Free parking on site.

Cost

Brantwood details TBC. Lawson Park entry fee (£5 per person) and refreshments to be paid for by individuals.

Booking

To book a place for the day, please email crispin.spencer1@gmail.com.

More info

brantwood.org.uk, lawsonpark.org