Townend is beautifully located on the side of a hill overlooking the Troutbeck Valley close to Windermere and Ambleside. In fact, author Beatrix Potter once described this area as her favourite in the Lake District.
This National Trust property is a fine example of Lake District architecture and offers and insight into the life of a local family throughout the centuries. Rather than being a manor or stately home, this is a quaint farmhouse that allows you to see what life was like living in the Lake District over the past few hundred years with its whitewashed stone exterior.
Built in 1626 for wealthy farmer George Browne, Townend is one of the most well-known statesman's houses in Cumbira and it remained in the Browne family until it was handed over to the National Trust in 1943.
It has been kept just as the Browne family had it throughout their long history at the house and much of the furniture you see today was made specifically for the house with numerous pieces featuring remarkable carving. Large chimneys, dark interior and full of nooks and crannies, this is a fantastic house for children to explore with collections of domestic items, books and much more.
Outside within the grounds of Townend are a small range of farm buildings including a dairy and a small historic garden.
