DOBBIN THE ROCKING HORSE When you visit our main library, you’ll find a noble steed having a well-earned rest amongst our bookshelves – Dobbin the rocking horse. Dobbin was potentially made in the mid-nineteenth century. He was originally owned by a lady from Outgate,...

VISITORS BOOK FOR THE SALUTATION INN (1858-1874) At the height of summer we’ve chosen this nineteenth-century visitors book from the Salutation Inn as our Object of the Month. Ambleside became a trading hub in 1650 when it was first granted a charter for a wool market...

FELL RUNNING AT AMBLESIDE SPORTS Our Object of the Month for July is this set of photographs from the 1980s. These pictures, taken by a ‘Mr Hoare’, show fell runners taking part in the introductory Rydal Round race at Ambleside Sports in the summers of 1986 and 1987....

Since the largest industry in the Lake District is now tourism, it can be easy to forget Cumbria’s industrial past when we travel here to enjoy the majestic scenery. Nonetheless, we have many items in The Armitt collection that hearken back to our industrial...