Brantwood
4.5
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The former home of artist and writer John Ruskin is perched high above Coniston Water. Brantwood offers a fascinating insight into the world of John Ruskin and the last 28 years of his life spent at Coniston. Filled with many fine paintings, beautiful furniture and Ruskin’s personal treasures, the house retains the character of its famous resident. Famous as a writer, artist and social reformer, many great thinkers have been influenced by Ruskin’s ideas. 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 the Welfare State. With its many contemporary exhibitions, concerts, courses and special events, together with its education work in the wider community, Brantwood continues in the Ruskin tradition today.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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42 within 3 miles
Attractions
45 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- MarpleTravellerMarple, United Kingdom1,159 contributionsGreat Views and interesting history.This is a fascinating property on the shore of Coniston Water. It was Ruskins home from 1871 until his death. The house contains many objects of interest associated with Ruskin and also provides exhibition spofir modern artwork. The Garden is interesting with several trails, but not for the faint hearted as on quite a steep hillside.Visited March 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten March 20, 2023
- Carol K2 contributionsPeaceful and perfect!Wonderful weekend at the Eyrie. Had stayed in the Coachman’s Quarters before and wanted to stay ‘up at the big house’ which was available for our 45th wedding anniversary. Absolutely meant to be! We had some beautiful days with lazy breakfasts and long afternoon walks, and a bit of Lakeland weather for stunning views, with sunlight on the Old Man of Coniston changing by the minute, so never a dull moment sitting in the gorgeous window seats way up high. Peaceful and perfect. Thank you to all the lovely staff we met and chatted to. It’s beginning to feel like home, just need to ‘bag’ the Lodge with the family for the full set! ☺️Visited April 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten April 12, 2023
- rdjones687Agadir, Morocco40 contributionsStaff at John Ruskin's fascinating home very helpful for disabled couple.While staying in Coniston, we were interested in John Ruskin's home, gardens & spectacular views of Lake Coniston, but after orthopaedic surgery 7 months ago we doubted if we could manage steep slope from carpark to house. Staff kindly allowed us to drive up to front of house & then drive down a little to the cafe before leaving. We found the house fascinating and views of the lake spectacular. Staff explained the story of the house clearly; there were ample exhibits and some chairs to rest on, particularly in the last room set up as a reading room with wonderful views of the garden and lake. The house has been conserved very much as Ruskin left it, with his extensions & work explained. Many Ruskin artworks and some of WM Turner's, too. Fascinating family story which we are following up with books bought in the Brantwood House shop. Thank you to Brantwood House staff for your help.Visited May 2023Written May 26, 2023
- TravellingHappilyBrighton, United Kingdom326 contributionsGarden a bit scruffyGood carpark. £14 admission for house and garden; ticket lasts all year! The gardens are pleasant, although mostly steeply wooded; in the flower terraces the use of sheep wool seemed unnecessary for slugs and looked scruffy. The cafe with terrace is busy; good views from outside.Visited May 2023Traveled with friendsWritten May 29, 2023
- Allison ShieldsKillin, United Kingdom2 contributionsSpectacular house and gardens with stunning views across Coniston waters.We have been visiting this area of the Lake District for years, but had never visited Brantwood until this year. Beautiful house and gardens with spectacular views of Coniston waters. Lovely staff in the cafe and gift shop. There are many walks you can do around the various gardens, which was great. We tied our visit in with a trip to Coniston, which is only a short drive from Brantwood. Our only regret is not visiting sooner.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 18, 2023
- Pau1MannWorld10 contributionsShame - prior planning and all that !!Went to Brantwood today to do the Garden Walks. Having visited the House and exhibitions earlier in the year and also experienced The Terrace Tearooms we were looking forward to the walk and tea and cake afterwards. We went into the tearooms just after 3pm to find there was literally just a few pieces of cake left for sale. No scones, no brownies and what they had was literally disappearing in front of our eyes as orders were being taken outside and coming in whilst we were waiting. One lady had ordered a brownie only to be told 'sorry you can't have that they have all been sold outside'. Nice to be busy but given that the tearoom was open for a further hour and a half, what were they going to be selling ?? I felt that there was very little evidence of planning or catering for the visitors on whose sales they depend.Visited July 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten July 20, 2023
- Chris USunderland, United Kingdom178 contributionsImpressive house with amazing viewsI visited Brantwood with my elderly parents. We used the launch to visit. On the launch We were able to buy discounted tickets to. After a nice boat trip around the lake, we walked through a small garden to gain access to the house. The house was interesting and nice to wander around. The surrounding area has an artist studio which can be visited and gardens to explore, we didn't see most of the gardens doe to my mother's mobility issues, but I would like to revisit later. Cafe is worth visiting and the lavender cake was nice. During the visit, I recognised part of the building where I had a photo taken when I was 4.Visited March 2023Traveled with friendsWritten July 23, 2023
- Sally WMoray, United Kingdom30 contributionsShells and mineralsMy second visit, after a gap of many years and I find that my view of Rushkin has not changed. Yes, he was a visionary in terms of art and architecture. Yes he helped bring about great social changes. But his attitude to women... and nine year old girls... was well dodgy. That said, it is interesting to potter around the house. Which you can do at your own pace, taking time to study the things that interest you. I very much appreciated that. There is even an invitation to sit in one of the two chairs in the wee library, to read a book, or just contemplate the view across the lake. Lovely! The grounds are great fun. Not for those with mobility issues, sadly, as there is a fair amount of steepness and the path can be tricky underfoot. However, for those who are able, it is lovely to be able to wander around between relatively well kept gardens and wild areas. The pond is well worth the walk, acting as an eye to capture the sky. For those interested in minerals, pop into the Treasury to see part of Rushkin's collection, all helpfully labelled. The tea room is just down the brae, with enormous pieces of cake and a selection of hot and cold drinks on offer, with a choice of indoor or outdoor seating.Visited July 2023Traveled soloWritten July 29, 2023
- Peter HopkinsNewcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom89 contributionsOutstandingWhat a real gem. Beautiful views, stunning gardens, friendly and helpful staff at the reception and in the house. A really special and tranquil spot that I’d highly recommend to anyone wanting to escape some of the busier touristy spots. £14 entry but can be used again and lasts for the year.Visited August 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten August 4, 2023
- artist697969Queensbury, United Kingdom19 contributionsvisit to John Ruskin house at Brantwoodwe have visited it before but this time my wife had a mobility scooter we were able to park beside the house . it was a fascinating visit which was well set out the gardens are lovely but no good for mobility users we had a nice meal at the cafe. For those who have not been there it was the home of John Ruskin and well worth a visitVisited July 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten August 7, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
515 reviews
Excellent
311
Very good
151
Average
36
Poor
12
Terrible
5
Pete C
2 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Very interesting home of John Ruskin. We really enjoyed our visit. Very friendly staff in the home and in the lovely gift shop.
Written November 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shanhar
Ulverston, UK16 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
A very warm welcome from Steve as we parked our car.
A warm smile and very friendly words.
Set the tone for a lovely return visit.
Everywhere looked so well cared for and loved the walk to the new jetty.
Highly recommended
A warm smile and very friendly words.
Set the tone for a lovely return visit.
Everywhere looked so well cared for and loved the walk to the new jetty.
Highly recommended
Written November 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike A
Southampton, UK60 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Fascinating insight into the life and works of John Ruskin. Great walks round the grounds as well. We loved the cafe too, good food with creative elements and great quality. Lovely cakes too.
Written October 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura T
Middlesbrough, UK6,983 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
There are lower and upper gardens. The Lower Gardens are located near to the jetty and are what you would expect from a garden, with plants and flowers in borders. It is small and there was not a lot to see in early September, we maybe spent around 5 minutes here then walked to jetty for another 10 minutes to look across the water.
The Upper Gardens have several routes you can walk to explore a lovely wooded area. The Upper Gardens are located on a hill so the paths are very steep and narrow with some steps, definitely not pram accessible but we had our baby in the carrier and enjoyed exploring the woods. We walked most of the routes on the map and this took us around 45 minutes, so a lot smaller than it looks at first on the map (see attached photo).
We read that there is a nice cafe and a gift shop, but we did not visit. Open daily from 10.30am to 4pm. Tickets to House and Gardens are £14. We were able to use our 2-4-1 Gardening World voucher, so a very good price, especially as tickets can be used again within 1 year.
The house is quite small but picturesque and has nice views of Coniston waters. We enjoyed looking around the rooms for around 20 minutes before the baby woke up. Ruskin had many collections, we were most impressed by his collection of gems/stones. No doubt those with similar interests could spend hours here.
Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Randomly I was most impressed by the toilets! Yes I actually took photos of the fun 'under the sea' toilet seats and mosaic style nature-themed walls.
While we enjoyed our visit, in our opinion there are far better houses and gardens to explore nearby. This was our second visit to the area, which is why we have moved onto our secondary choice activities. So would really only recommend this to those who know about Ruskin and want to learn more, or those like us who have
The Upper Gardens have several routes you can walk to explore a lovely wooded area. The Upper Gardens are located on a hill so the paths are very steep and narrow with some steps, definitely not pram accessible but we had our baby in the carrier and enjoyed exploring the woods. We walked most of the routes on the map and this took us around 45 minutes, so a lot smaller than it looks at first on the map (see attached photo).
We read that there is a nice cafe and a gift shop, but we did not visit. Open daily from 10.30am to 4pm. Tickets to House and Gardens are £14. We were able to use our 2-4-1 Gardening World voucher, so a very good price, especially as tickets can be used again within 1 year.
The house is quite small but picturesque and has nice views of Coniston waters. We enjoyed looking around the rooms for around 20 minutes before the baby woke up. Ruskin had many collections, we were most impressed by his collection of gems/stones. No doubt those with similar interests could spend hours here.
Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Randomly I was most impressed by the toilets! Yes I actually took photos of the fun 'under the sea' toilet seats and mosaic style nature-themed walls.
While we enjoyed our visit, in our opinion there are far better houses and gardens to explore nearby. This was our second visit to the area, which is why we have moved onto our secondary choice activities. So would really only recommend this to those who know about Ruskin and want to learn more, or those like us who have
Written October 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jezza
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Firstly, the dog-friendly cafe is superb - the food is delicious with many veggie/vegan options, coffee is excellent, and the service super friendly. Cafe has wonderful views over the lake, and can be enjoyed no matter the weather. The house and gardens are full of treasures, with beautiful woodland walks. A return trip to the cafe before home time is recommended (or maybe we're just greedy!!)
Written October 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HelenB
Weston-in-Gordano, UK7 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Idyllic lakeside retreat with stunning views. So peaceful. Wonderful scenery on doorstep, gardens to explore, lovely dog walks, even ventured into the lake for a swim! On site Terrace cafe is excellent. Coachman’s Quarters were comfy and equipped to a very high standard. Couldn’t fault our welcome and stay here. Would wholeheartedly recommend.
Written October 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard B
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
The accommodation in the Lodge was just what we needed: quiet (very), well equipped (the kitchen met the specification of the best cook in our party) and clean, Everyone working on the Brantwood 'site' (holiday lettings - but only three, of which this is the largest...and they're not attached to each other... shop & museum / gallery, adjacent cafe) was friendly and welcoming: a good experience, well away from the often ultra-overcrowded Windermere / Ambleside / Grasmere strip. Both Liitle and Great Langdales, and further west, all easily accesssible...no traffic jams. Recommended.
Written October 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicky h
Exeter, UK1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Solo
Wonderful visit to Brantwood. Such friendly staff, clean and with everything you would need. Good WiFi. Cafe downstairs is excellent. Highly recommended. Beautiful setting.
Written September 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
michael m
10 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Well worth the price as you get free visits for the rest of the year. An amazing place with walks through gladed areas and running streams, above the actual house that Ruskin lived in which is included in the price. Guides are sutuated within the house who are informative and friendly, there is also useful bits of information to read as you walk through the various rooms within the house. This incudes an archway wehre you can see the carriage used by Ruskin to get around in. Amazing views and the cafe which is accessible to passers by to is good value with well presented food served by lovely staff team to your table.
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
artist697969
Queensbury, UK19 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
we have visited it before but this time my wife had a mobility scooter
we were able to park beside the house .
it was a fascinating visit which was well set out
the gardens are lovely but no good for mobility users
we had a nice meal at the cafe.
For those who have not been there it was the home of John Ruskin and well
worth a visit
we were able to park beside the house .
it was a fascinating visit which was well set out
the gardens are lovely but no good for mobility users
we had a nice meal at the cafe.
For those who have not been there it was the home of John Ruskin and well
worth a visit
Written August 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terminallytangerine
Liverpool, UK10 contributions
How long would you recommend spending at Brantwood?
John L
Ulverston, United Kingdom29 contributions
Half a day if you eat in the cafe and look around the house. The views are so good and the staff are so nice,you might want to stay all day!
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Claim your listingBrantwood - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Brantwood
- Hotels near Brantwood:
- (0.77 mi) Bank Ground Farm - B&B and self-catering cottages
- (1.31 mi) Orchard Cottage
- (2.62 mi) Walker Ground Manor
- (1.04 mi) The Coniston Inn
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- Restaurants near Brantwood:
- (0.06 mi) The Terrace - Coffee House and Restaurant
- (1.21 mi) Steam Bistro
- (0.78 mi) The Bluebird Cafe
- (1.31 mi) The Green Housekeeper Cafe
- (1.34 mi) Herdwicks Cafe
Brantwood Information
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