Natural History Gallery

Click and drag on the image above for a look round the gallery

Find out about the geology of the Lake District, including the intense volcanic activity that produced the great mountain ranges, and follow a nature trail through various habitats.

In this gallery you can follow an illustrated geological history of the Lake District, beginning 520 million years ago, through all the major geological periods to the present day. 

Collections on display include a wealth of fossils, local shales, flags, grits and slates, and many local minerals and rock types.

The second section of the gallery is devoted to a series of dioramas taking the form of a nature trail looking at various habitats from a typical Kendal garden, to the different habitats found up on the high fells where you might find a hawk buzzard or a golden eagle. 

Please note that the animals in our Natural History Gallery were not deliberately killed, they were victims of accidents or natural death. We do not in any way encourage or condone the deliberate killing of animals for our collections.

For children:

• Explore and identify natural history objects
• Fossil rubbing
• Spot animals from the drawings below the cases (not as easy as it sounds!)

Click and drag on the image above for a look round the gallery

Unfortunately the Lake District Natural History Gallery is not accessible to wheelchair users.