Shops in the Lake District

Blackwell is one of Britain's finest and most important houses from the turn of the last century. Designed by MH Baille Scott between 1898 and 1900, it is a superb example of arts and crafts movement. It occupies a stunning position overlooking Windermere in the English Lake District and is open to the public both as a historic house and a gallery for craft and applied arts.

Housed in a Georgian villa on the banks of the river Kent in the market town of Kendal, the galleries offer two floors of light-filled spaces in which to see art. The intimate rooms and tranquil setting are used to show British painting and sculpture, without pretention or overload, to uplift the spirits in an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere. As well as the fine permanent collection, Abbot Hall is widely acknowledged as having one of the most important and independently minded exhibition programmes outside London. “Given its location, it would have been easy for such a gallery to have rested on its laurels, simply showcasing historic works with links to the area. But what has put Abbot Hall on the map has been its bullish policy of showing and collecting modern British art.” Sue Hubbard, The Independent, July 2007.