This week was the first of the University of Cumbria’s Cultural Landscape talks for 2025. We weren’t too sure about the proposed title of the talk: Ruskin and the Railways, wondering would this be aimed at railway enthusiasts! But, because we always enjoy these talks, we decided to put our doubts aside and go to Ambleside and find out!
The talk revolved around John Ruskin and the Arts and Crafts movement in the Lake District. The connection to the coming of the railways was fairly tenuous. The premise, with which we heartily agreed, was simply without the railways there would have been no Ruskin as he wouldn't have been able to live at Brantwood, and without Ruskin there would have been no Arts and Crafts movement. John Ruskin was the fulcrum around which all the other artists, writers and antiquarians revolved. He was the "black hole" into which they were all sucked. So many famous names were connected with Ruskin including W G Collingwood, Arthur Ransome, Hardwicke Rawnsley, Beatrix Potter and so many more.
We were guided on a whistle stop tour of many Arts and Crafts houses in Cumbria, built for wealthy merchants and their families, as well linen work, furniture, metalwork and stained glass. Much of the talk focussed on the Keswick School of Industrial Art, founded by Hardwicke Rawnsley, and the beautiful craftsmanship that came about as a result.
The talk was absolutely fascinating and engrossing, and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening, leaving with many new places to explore.