Backbarrow brings together engineering and industrial history with trails along the River Leven. The Lakeland Motor Museum is housed in the Old Blue Mill; the remains of Backbarrow Ironworks are also in the village. A historic stone arch bridge and walking trails complement the cultural attractions with opportunities to explore the surrounding area on foot.
Motorsport history at the Lakeland Motor Museum
The exhibition on the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) traces the race’s history since 1907. A hall of fame, video presentations and a timeline explore the subject in different ways: the timeline places the long period in context, while videos complement the presentation. This puts motorsport itself in the spotlight alongside engineering history.
The full-size replicas on display include the 1935 Blue Bird racing car, the 1939 Blue Bird Boat K4 and the 1967 Bluebird K7 jet-powered hydroplane. The three models span different decades and types of vehicle. The museum café offers views over the River Leven.
Backbarrow Ironworks and the stone bridge
The remains of Backbarrow Ironworks lie on the River Leven. Visitors can see the surviving new furnace stack dating from 1770. The site also includes the waterwheel pit and the later engine house. The furnaces are also visible: exhaust gases were reheated in them to provide a hot blast to the furnace. Backbarrow Ironworks is protected as a Scheduled Monument.
Ironworking is also linked to a historic railway that transported iron ore for Backbarrow Iron Works. The industrial past can also be seen at Backbarrow Bridge on the River Leven. The stone arch bridge dates from the 17th or 18th century and was later widened. Its arch shape and subsequent alteration are part of its construction history.
Walking around Backbarrow
The Haverthwaite-Heights-Greenwood Trail runs along woodland paths, across fields and along short stretches of road. A turn-off leads down to Backbarrow, providing access to the River Leven and the Motor Museum. The trail is also accessible from the Whitewater Hotel. As trail conditions can change, check the route’s current condition before setting out.
Another walk starts at the historic Backbarrow Stone Bridge and leads to High Dam Lake. For this walk, the bridge is the starting point; it should not be confused with the sections of the Haverthwaite-Heights-Greenwood Trail described above. There is also a woodland walk and a forest play area at Haverthwaite’s Victorian railway station.
Steam train and getting there
Nearby, the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway offers a 50-minute round-trip steam train ride for the 2026 season: from Haverthwaite to Lakeside at the southern tip of Lake Windermere and back. Check the timetable for your planned travel date before your visit.
The Lakeland Motor Museum is in Backbarrow, right beside the A590 between Newby Bridge and Haverthwaite. From the Backbarrow stop, the museum is just a few minutes’ walk away. This lets you consider the museum, the history of the ironworks and walking as distinct focuses for your stay; which ones you combine depends on whether you want to spend more time in the exhibitions, at the historic structures or on the trails.
Discover more destinations: Winscales, Glenridding, Garrigill, Arnside, Torpenhow, Alston, Grayrigg, Silecroft.
For the main travel overview: Cumbria.
