Backbarrow: Motor Museum, Ironworks and Trails along the River Leven

Backbarrow brings together several distinct themes for trip planning: a motor museum, the iron industry, historic structures and trails. The Lakeland Motor Museum showcases motoring and racing history; the remains of Backbarrow Ironworks stand on the River Leven, and a historic stone-arch bridge crosses the river in the village. There are also walking trails with different routes. If you are considering Backbarrow as a place to stay, you can plan your outings around your interests in technology, industrial history or walking.

A motor museum spanning the TT and Bluebird

The Lakeland Motor Museum is housed in the Old Blue Mill in Backbarrow. Its exhibition on the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) traces the race’s history since 1907 through a hall of fame, video presentations and a timeline. Life-size replicas are also on display: the 1935 Blue Bird racing car, the 1939 Blue Bird Boat K4 and the 1967 Bluebird K7 jet-powered hydroplane.

The museum offers different perspectives on motoring history: the TT exhibition puts a race in context through its history, while each of the three replicas focuses on a specific vehicle and year. The museum café offers views over the River Leven.

Ironworks and bridge on the River Leven

Backbarrow Ironworks is a Scheduled Monument. At the remains on the River Leven, visitors can see the surviving new furnace stack from 1770. The waterwheel pit and later engine house are also visible. Preserved features also include furnaces in which exhaust gases were reheated to provide hot blast to the furnace. These details offer a glimpse of different parts of the former ironworks, from the furnaces to the waterwheel pit.

Backbarrow Bridge adds a different type of structure to the historic picture: the stone-arch bridge crosses the River Leven, dates from the 17th or 18th century and was later widened. Backbarrow therefore has evidence of the iron industry alongside a historic river crossing, without reducing the two to the same building history.

Steam train and trails in the surrounding area

The historic railway transported iron ore for Backbarrow Iron Works. Nearby, the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway offers a 50-minute round trip by steam train, from Haverthwaite to Lakeside at the southern tip of Lake Windermere and back. This journey is listed for the 2026 season; check the timetable before visiting. Haverthwaite’s Victorian station also has a woodland walk and a woodland play area.

The Haverthwaite Heights Greenwood Trail runs along woodland paths, across fields and on short stretches of road. A branch leads down to Backbarrow, providing access to the River Leven and the Motor Museum. According to a 2018 leaflet from the Lake District National Park Authority, the trail is also accessible from the Whitewater Hotel; access arrangements may change. Check access arrangements before setting off.

Another walking trail, from Backbarrow Stone Bridge to High Dam Lake, starts at the historic stone bridge in Backbarrow. The routes can therefore be distinguished by their different landmarks: the Greenwood Trail includes woodland paths, fields and a branch to Backbarrow, while the other trail starts at the stone bridge and leads to High Dam Lake.

Getting to the museum

The Lakeland Motor Museum is right beside the A590 between Newby Bridge and Haverthwaite. From Backbarrow stop, it is just a few minutes’ walk to the museum. These details give you two specific points of reference for planning your museum visit.

Discover more destinations: Wellington, Whitehaven, Whitbeck, Calthwaite, Embleton, Staveley, Farlam, Stanwix

For the broader travel overview: Cumbria.