A Recommended Day Trip near Cartmel in the English Lake District

A great trip out from Cartmel but in fact any destination in the Lake District at the moment is a trip to Ulverston.

Ulverston is not only a delightful market town with interesting shops and antique stores, but is also the home of a small, but perfectly formed and most informative museum!  Ulverston is the home of the Laurel and Hardy Museum, which seeing at the film “Stan and Ollie” has just come out ( January 2019) I thought I would share this lovely town with you all.

First a little history about the duo.  Laurel and Hardy were a comedy act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. Stan Laurel was English (1890–1965) and Oliver Hardy American (1892–1957). They became well known during the late 1920s to the mid-1940s for their slapstick comedy.  Laurel played the clumsy and childlike friend of the self- important Hardy. They are famous for their signature tune which was played over their film credits  (The Dance of the Cuckoos”). their bowler hats!

Prior to emerging as a team, both actors had well-established film careers. Laurel had appeared in over 50 films as an actor (while also working as a writer and director), while Hardy had been in more than 250 productions. They didn’t become a comedy team until 1926 when they appeared in a movie short together, and they officially became a team in 1927 when they appeared together in the silent short film Putting Pants on Philip.

They appeared as a team in 107 films, starring in 32 short silent films, 40 short sound films, and 23 full-length feature films. They also made 12 guest or cameo appearances .

In 2005, they were voted the seventh-greatest comedy act of all time by a UK poll of fellow comedians.

The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as  The Sons of the Desert and memorabilia of them and their work can be found in Ulverston.

Ulverston is the home of Stan Laurel and at the Roxy Cinema not only can you at the moment (January 2019) see the film, “Stan and Ollie” with   John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan you can tour the delightful museum dedicated to the famous pair

To get to the museum by Car –(from Woodside or Fell View)

Turn off the M6 at Junction 36, follow the A590 to Barrow in Furness, which will bring you to Ulverston. The easiest car park is situated on the roundabout at the entrance to the town. From the car park, we are a short walk up the cobbled street, past Gillam’s Tearoom, turn left at Costa Coffee onto Brogden Street. Their  entrance is at the front of the Roxy Cinema, look out for the smiling Stan, as in the photo above!

Parking –

There is ample parking in Ulverston town centre with several Pay and Display car parks all within 5 minutes walk. Parking on the street is usually limited to 1 hour unless you have a parking permit (local residents only).

Admission Prices 2019

Adults: £5.00
Concession: £4.00 Children: £2.50
Family Ticket: £10.00 (Family Ticket consists of Two Adults and up to Three Children U16)
Deluxe Ticket: £7.00 (Entry plus Hot or Cold Drink and muffin or bag of popcorn)

Annual Passes:
Adult: £12.00
Concession: £10.00
Family: £25.00 Ulverston Walking Tour: £5.00 per person

Every Thursday during the School Summer Holidays
Join our experts for a guided tour of Ulverston as Stan would have remembered it. See his birthplace, the shop where Grandma bought him his Beers Treacle Toffee (a real treat!) and many other parts of our charming Market Town.

Opening Times

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Easter – Oct: 7 Days Per Week
Close Monday & Wednesday at all other times.
Christmas Opening Times: From 20th Dec to 3rd Jan,