Just outside Bowness-on-Windermere, Blackwell is a Grade I listed Arts and Crafts house designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott and completed in 1901 as a holiday home for brewer Sir Edward Holt. Its rooms bring the movement’s craftsmanship into view, from carved woodwork and stained glass to period furniture and decorative details. Exhibitions mix traditional and modern work, and the gardens look out over Lake Windermere. Allow time for the on-site tea room and craft and book shop after exploring the house.
A holiday home shaped by Arts and Crafts design
Blackwell was designed by architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott between 1898 and 1900 for Manchester brewer Sir Edward Holt and his family. The house was completed in 1901 as a holiday home. It is a Grade I listed building and one of Britain’s important surviving examples of Arts and Crafts architecture.
The movement’s emphasis on skilled making is visible throughout the house. Look for carved oak panels, stained glass, plasterwork and ironwork, as well as small details such as leaf-shaped door handles. The interiors retain many of their original decorative features, and rooms are furnished with Arts and Crafts pieces alongside early country-made furniture.
Rooms, collections and exhibitions
At Blackwell, the house itself is part of the display. Rather than moving through separate galleries, you can explore furnished period rooms and see how design details relate to the home’s layout. Window seats and cosy corners bring the domestic scale of the building into view, while the outlook across Windermere and towards the Coniston Fells connects the interiors to their setting.
The displays include crafted objects and furniture associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. Exhibitions change, and have brought contemporary work into the historic rooms, including ceramics. The house has also hosted family activities, creative workshops and events; check the current programme if you want to plan around one.
Gardens, tea room and shop
The gardens were laid out by landscape architect Thomas Mawson. Follow the grounds and take in the views over Windermere, or pause on the terrace. The garden setting gives the house a different perspective from its interiors and makes room for a slower visit.
An on-site tea room serves food and coffee, with seating indoors and outdoors. The craft and book shop stocks craft items and books, so it is an easy final stop after the rooms and gardens. Blackwell also has visitor facilities including accessible toilets and a wheelchair-accessible entrance; if you rely on a lift, check its availability before travelling.
Perguntas frequentes
Where is Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts house?
It is near Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District National Park, at Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere, LA23 3JT.
Who designed Blackwell?
Architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott designed the house between 1898 and 1900. It was completed in 1901 as a holiday home for Sir Edward Holt and his family.
Is there parking at Blackwell?
Yes. Free parking is available on site.
Is Blackwell wheelchair accessible?
The entrance, parking and toilets are wheelchair accessible. Check ahead if you need lift access, as the lift may not always be operating.
