Book your tour
Daily at 3pm. Please book your place in advance. Every Thursday time slots will be released for the next 14 days.
Atmospheric farmhouse full of quirky objects and fascinating stories
Troutbeck, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LB
Asset | Opening time |
---|---|
House | Closed |
House (Guided tour) | Closed |
Townend is closed through November for winter conservation. It reopens for Christmas 6-21 December, 11am-3pm Friday-Saturday.
Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
---|---|---|
Adult | £10.50 | £9.50 |
Child | £5.30 | £4.75 |
Family | £26.20 | £23.75 |
1 adult, 2 children | £15.70 | £14.25 |
Small car park. Designated mobility car park spaces and drop-off point.
Baby changing facilities are available in the toilets.
Guided tours at 3pm each day, lasting approximately 45 minutes, these will be themed and allow you exclusive access in a small group of up to 15 people. Tickets must be booked online.
Designated mobility car park spaces and drop-off point. Access to cottage garden via a steep slope. Many small steps in the house, including a step at the entrance
Designated accessible car park space in the car park.
Access to the cottage garden is via a steep slope and there are many small steps in the house, including a step at the entrance.
From the south exit M6 at junction 36 onto A590. Follow signs for Windermere A591, continue to Troutbeck Bridge. Turn right onto Bridge Lane, turn left onto Holbeck Lane continue for about 300 yards to car park on right. From the north exit M6 at junction 40, take the A66 at roundabout exit onto A592, turn tight on Green Gate, left past The Old Post Office Tea Room and continue to car park.
Parking: 300 yards (274m) along the road from the farmhouse. Not suitable for coaches or campervans. Path leads from the car park to the house.
Sat Nav: LA23 1LB
Windermere station is 2 ½ miles (4km). Get on a bus 516, 555, 599 to Troutbeck Bridge. Walk 1½ miles (2.4km) along Bridge Lane, approx 33mins. West Coast Main Line services run through Oxenholme the Lake District station. From there, connect to the Northern Lakes line to Windermere station.
Stagecoach bus numbers 516, 555, 599 run from and to Windermere train station, alight at Troutbeck Bridge. Walk 1½ miles (2.4km) along Bridge Lane approx 33mins. This is a country lane with no pavement.
National Cycle Network route 6 runs to Windermere and some sections of the route are still to be developed, check the Sustrans website for route information.
Discover everything you need to know about visiting Townend farmhouse, including when to visit and how to book a tour. Closed in November to prepare for special Christmas opening 6-21 December, Friday-Saturday between 11am-3pm. No advance booking needed. Closes for winter 22 December 2024 - 17 March 2025.
Step inside a Victorian style Christmas at Townend (6-7, 13-14, 20-21 December).
Visit Townend with your four-legged friend. Find out where you can and can't take your dog and discover some recommended walking routes.
Seventeenth-century farmhouse and home to the Browne family for 400 years. Full of intricately carved furniture and rare books.
Informal, cosy, cottage style garden.
The library contains the family’s well-used collection of books, including 45 that are the only remaining copies in the world.
One of the earliest bank barns in Cumbria. The barn is still in agricultural use, it's not open to the public, but you can see it from the garden.
Step back in time with Townend's Victorian Christmas. The fire is roaring, the house decked with traditional festive foliage and the smells of Christmas fill the air. Dates: 6, 7, 13,14, 20, 21 December, 11am-3pm.
Townend is full of fascinating stories. Step back in time to the 17th century and learn more about the Browne family and their lives.
Troutbeck is an unusual collection of hamlets that make up a unique village in the Lake District. What will you discover?
From Ambleside go on a circular discovery walk through country lanes, woods and fields. Along the way enjoy views of Lake Windermere, visit Troutbeck village and Townend farmhouse, and climb up to Wansfell Pike for great views of the fells.
A 4-mile circular walk through classic Lake District scenery from Brockhole near Lake Windermere, through Troutbeck Valley to Townend, a 17th-century farmhouse.
Discover the area around Townend, a 17th-century farmhouse a stone's throw from Lake Windermere.
A challenging circular trail along old tracks and fields to the craggy top of Wansfell, with outstanding views over Windermere and Ambleside.
An inspiring spot looking out over Langdale Valley with Arts and Crafts influenced detail inside.
A cosy house in the old kitchen garden of Wray Castle with views of stunning scenery all around.
A simple lakeside retreat for an uplugged holiday, with a jetty to launch your canoe or kayak in Windermere.
The Brownes of Townend in the Troutbeck Valley were just an ordinary farming family: but their home and belongings bring to life more than 400 years of extraordinary stories. As you approach Townend - a traditional Lake District stone and slate farmhouse, you'll understand why Beatrix Potter described Troutbeck Valley as her favourite.
Once inside, you are welcomed into the farmhouse kitchen with a real fire - burning most afternoons - and a quirky collection of domestic tools. Throughout the house, intricately carved furniture provides a window into the personality of George Browne. The library contains the family’s well-used collection of books, including 45 that are the only remaining copies in the world. Outside, the colourful cottage-style garden is a lovely place to while away some time among the flowers.
Please note that althought the food isn't to be eaten, we do have real food on display containing nuts and flour.
Just who were the Browne family? Discover more about the Townend farmhouse, the family who lived here and their position in society.
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Townend.
Daily at 3pm. Please book your place in advance. Every Thursday time slots will be released for the next 14 days.