
Windermere’s draw is From Auschwitz to Ambleside
Around Windermere, the places to visit include 6 attractions, 5 museums and 3 historic houses. One place to visit is mapped inside Windermere’s built-up area, with 16 more within 5 km of its edge. Of these, 5 are looked after by the National Trust. Go 13 km out for Sizergh Castle.
Must-know places in Windermere
The list goes on from From Auschwitz to Ambleside to 2 historic houses, a castle and a museum.
Historic house · National TrustHill Top4.1 km outside town, to the southwest
Castle · National TrustWray Castle1.8 km outside town, to the northwest
Historic house · National TrustTownend1.7 km outside town, to the north
MuseumWindermere Jetty300 m outside town, to the southwest
GardenHolehird Gardens400 m outside town, to the northEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Places on the map
Furthest from the centre is The Armitt Museum & Library, 7.5 km away.
The dashed line is Windermere’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
The mix
6 are other attractions; museums or galleries come next with 5.
Green: inside Windermere. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
5 places are cared for by the National Trust (Hill Top, Wray Castle, Townend and Stag Shaw Gardens, and 1 more).
All of it
In town there is one, and the list adds 16 more within 5 km of its edge.
The one inside Windermere comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
24 listed buildings are on Windermere’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Windermere →
A little further out
The 12 days out are led by Sizergh Castle, 13 km away.
Castle · National TrustSizergh Castle13 km southeast
CastleKendal Castle12 km southeast
Historic houseRydal Mount9.6 km northwest
Castle · English HeritageBrougham Castle33 km north
CastleLancaster Castle37 km south
Museum · English HeritageStott Park Bobbin Mill11 km south
CastleAppleby Castle35 km northeast
Abbey or priory · English HeritageFurness Abbey33 km southwest
Castle · English HeritagePenrith Castle33 km north
AquariumLakes Aquarium11 km southCastleCastleMuncaster Castle31 km west
CastlePendragon Castle37 km eastPlaces well known beyond Windermere (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Seeing Windermere: your questions
What are the main attractions in Windermere?
The place to visit inside Windermere’s built-up area is From Auschwitz to Ambleside. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 16 more within 5 km.
Does Windermere have a museum?
5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Windermere: From Auschwitz to Ambleside, Windermere Jetty, The Armitt Museum & Library and Hawkshead Grammar School.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Windermere?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Windermere, 5 places are cared for by the National Trust (Hill Top, Wray Castle, Townend and Stag Shaw Gardens).
What are the best-known days out near Windermere?
Within 40 km: Sizergh Castle (13 km), Kendal Castle (12 km), Rydal Mount (9.6 km), Brougham Castle (33 km).
Where are Windermere’s historic buildings listed?
Windermere has 24 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Windermere when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (18)
- Hill Top: Chris Brown, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wray Castle: CellsDeDells, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Townend: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Windermere Jetty: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Holehird Gardens: Carl Bendelow, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stag Shaw Gardens: Ben Gamble, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blackwell: GavinJA, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sizergh Castle: Ian Knox, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kendal Castle: Tom Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rydal Mount: P.K.Niyogi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brougham Castle: Michael D Beckwith, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lancaster Castle: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stott Park Bobbin Mill: Keith Wright, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Appleby Castle: Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Furness Abbey: Francis Bijl from Groningen, Netherlands, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Penrith Castle: David Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lakes Aquarium: Darrin Antrobus, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pendragon Castle: Matthew Hatton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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