Ruskin Museum

The Lake District


Coniston's little museum explores the village's history, touching on copper mining, Arthur Ransome and the Campbell story. There's also a section on John Ruskin, with displays of his writings, watercolours and sketchbooks. It's also closely connected to the decade-long project to rebuild Donald Campbell's Bluebird K7, with various pieces of the remodelled boat on display; find out more about the project at www.bluebirdproject.com.

The museum is right in the middle of Coniston, just past the Black Bull pub.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Lake District attractions

1. Coniston Water

0.88 MILES

Coniston's gleaming 5-mile-long lake – the third largest in the Lake District after Windermere and Ullswater – is a half-mile walk from town along Lake Rd…

2. Brantwood

1.33 MILES

John Ruskin (1819–1900) was one of the great thinkers of 19th-century society. A polymath, philosopher, painter and critic, he expounded views on…

3. Tarn Hows

2.27 MILES

Two miles off the B5285 from Hawkshead, a winding country lane leads to this famously photogenic artificial lake, now owned by the National Trust. Trails…

4. Beatrix Potter Gallery

3.13 MILES

As well as being a children's author, Beatrix Potter was also a talented botanical painter and amateur naturalist. This small gallery, housed in what were…

5. Hawkshead Grammar School

3.14 MILES

In centuries past, promising young gentlemen were sent to Hawkshead's village school for their educational foundation. Among the former pupils was a…

6. Skelwith Bridge

4.39 MILES

Three miles south of Grasmere, Skelwith Bridge is little more than a knot of cottages along the banks of the River Brathay. Since the 19th century it's…

7. Hill Top

4.4 MILES

Two miles south of Hawkshead, in the tiny village of Near Sawrey, this idyllic farmhouse was purchased in 1905 by Beatrix Potter and was used as…

8. Elterwater

4.46 MILES

Named by Norse settlers after the colonies of whooper swans that still swoop across its surface every winter, Elterwater (literally 'swan lake') presents…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "england/cumbria-and-the-lakes/coniston/attractions/ruskin-museum/a/poi-sig/1018168/1339279",
      "destination": "The-Lake-District",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "England",
      "region": "The-Lake-District",
      "position": "superzone"
    }