Cool Places
Abbot Hall Art Gallery
Abbot Hall Kendal LA9 5AL
Kendal’s Georgian riverside mansion, Abbot Hall, contains a lovely art gallery whose changing exhibitions are always worth a look – from blockbuster displays by the likes of JMW Turner or Paula Rego to themed exhibitions with a distinct local flavour. There’s a permanent collection here too that draws heavily on the Lake District’s 18th- and 19th-century artistic circles, particularly works by society painter George Romney – a local lad – and drawings and watercolours by John Ruskin. A decent café rounds off the facilities, while the fascinating Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry is sited just across the lawn.
