
Book your tour
Please note we recommend booking tickets for tours at Townend. You can book for today up until 8am. Every Thursday time slots will be available for the next 14 days.
PLEASE NOTE: TOWNEND IS CURRENTLY CLOSED. WE WILL RE-OPEN FOR A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS, WEDNESDAYS 6, 13 AND 20 DECEMBER, 10AM - 3PM. Townend is an atmospheric farmhouse and garden in the village of Troutbeck in the Lake District. Discover the fascinating stories of the Browne family as you explore their library and its unique chapbook collection, see recipes brought to life from their own recipe book, and spot woodcarvings created by George Browne. The house gives us a real understanding of everyday life in the 17th century.
Step back in time with Townend's Victorian Christmas. Explore the house by candle light and experience how the 400 year old house would have looked during the late 1800s. Our Victorian cooking demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the day. Pick up a 12 Days of Christmas trail sheet when you arrive to learn more about the history of one of this holidays most iconic carols. Free as part of normal admission.
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of Townend being formally opened by the National Trust in 1948. To celebrate we have a new exhibition, Treasures of Townend in the picture room. The exhibition highlights interesting pieces from the Townend collection, exploring over 400 years of family history.
The new exhibition includes objects that have never been seen before, including George Browne’s furniture designs, and a Herdwick carpet hand woven in Troutbeck.
To find out more about the tales of Townend, book onto one of the themed guided tours. Lasting approximately 45 minutes, the tours offer exclusive access in a small group and a chance to delve deeper into Townend's fascinating history.
We recommend pre-booking guided tour tickets online.
Tuesday and Wednesday Townend General History Tour
Thursday Townend General History and Taste of Townend Tour
Friday Townend General History, Books and Library Tour
Every Thursday from 12–3pm, you can discover the delights of the Browne’s family recipe book, dating back to the 17th century. The living history team creates many dishes from the book, which is on display.
In a small but distinctive hand, Elizabeth Birkett filled this 57-page commonplace book with 80 medicinal and cookery recipes including meaty mince pies, bean cakes and macaroons, and a further 25 household recipes.
The story the book tells us about life at the time is one of sophisticated tastes against a backdrop of rural tradition and superstition.
You can read a full transcription of the book here.
Please note that although the food isn't to be eaten, we do have real food on display containing nuts and flour.
Townend boasts one of the earliest bank barns in Cumbria. It's still used today by the farmer for lambing and keeping sheep. While it's not open to the public, you can see it from the garden, or on the approach from the car park.
Townend library is made up of around 1,500 books which cover many topics from novels and poetry to farming, religion, law, medicine and current affairs. The books have tell-tale physical signs of being well used by the family (and in many cases their neighbours too), and we can see evidence of oil from finger marks and corners turned over.
There are also 45 entirely unique books: ones that have not survived anywhere else in the world. Some of these are slightly bawdy chapbooks.
George Browne was an enthusiastic woodcarver and the furniture at Townend tells the story of his fascination with local, traditional woodcarvings, and his more exotic inspirations. His more unusual designs stand out, for example the rather exotic-looking clock cases in the Firehouse and the mermaids supporting the fireplace in the State Bedroom.
He also had a sense of humour; can you spot the row of smiling faces in the fireplace in the main bedroom or the pair of feet sticking out of a long case clock?
We have a couple of illustrated guides to help children explore the stories of the Browne family as they look around the farmhouse, there’s one for young children and one for slightly older kids too. If you would like to borrow one for your visit just ask a member of the team when you arrive.
The cottage garden is great place to spend time as a family, just relaxing in the sunshine, doing some bird spotting or playing our traditional games in the courtyard.
Combining a walk in the valley with a trip to Townend makes for a great Lakeland day out. Download our Townend and Troutbeck Valley walk to uncover classic Lakeland scenery, farmland and architecture on this beautiful circular walk from Brockhole, near Lake Windermere, up into the Troutbeck Valley and to the charming and unique 17th-century farmhouse, Townend. On the way you will be rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding fells and Lake Windermere, diverse wildlife and some charming local architecture.
Townend and Troutbeck Valley walk
We don’t have a café here at Townend, however The Old Post Office Tea Room (not NT) is just down the road and well worth a visit for delicious brews alongside freshly made paninis, sandwiches and home made soup, delicious cakes and ice-cream. They have free WiFi and are dog friendly.
The tea room is open daily 10am – 4.30pm, except on Tuesdays.
Please note we recommend booking tickets for tours at Townend. You can book for today up until 8am. Every Thursday time slots will be available for the next 14 days.
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Plan your visit to Townend and book your guided tour. Read this article to find out everything you need to know.
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Alongside its natural outdoor wonders the Lake District also has many inspiring houses and buildings to visit, from the impressive Allan Bank where Wordsworth once lived, to the former farmhouse of Beatrix Potter.