may, 2023
Welcome to The Armitt – a museum, gallery, and library full of interesting and unusual objects telling the history and heritage of Ambleside, its people, and the surrounding Lake District landscape. Tickets to visit the museum and exhibitions can be booked online via the website or alternatively at the museum’s visitor reception. Please explore some of the key series of collections here and we look forward to welcoming you and helping you explore the heritage of the Lakeland world.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
BEATRIX POTTER
CHARLOTTE MASON
The Collections
Beatrix Potter
The Armitt has been the home of Beatrix Potter’s fungi, natural history, and archaeological artworks since the 1940s.
These tell a fascinating story of a young person passionate about the environment and world around her. Explore the collection further.
Kurt Schwitters
German-born artist Kurt Schwitters settled in Ambleside in 1945. Many of his paintings are now in The Armitt’s collection, including Silver Howe, Bowl of Flowers, and Dr Johnston. Find out more about the artist and his works here.
The Armitt Sisters
The Armitt was named for, and after, Mary Louisa Armitt who wished that there would be “a place for academic and booklovers and eventually a museum might be made that should illustrate the life of Ambleside, through the long past to the present”. Discover the Armitt sisters’ story.
Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) established her House of Education in Ambleside in 1892. Her friend Selina Healey whom she had met at college in London in 1860 lived there, and Charlotte often visited. She thought Ambleside was an ideal place to set up her training institution for governesses.
Photography
With over 32,000 items in the photographic collection at The Armitt, there is something for everyone amongst the glass plates, negatives, photographs, and objects. It showcases the local, social, and economic history of Ambleside and its surroundings. See some for yourself.
EXPLORE MORE . . .
LIBRARY CATALOGUE
ARMITT ONLINE SHOP