Discover Temple Sowerby

There are several different ways to plan a stay in Temple Sowerby: botanical diversity, a damp woodland landscape, specific walking routes and historical themes. If you are looking for a hotel in Temple Sowerby, these interests can help you choose a focus for your trip that suits your preferences. Acorn Bank, The Moss and the historical landmarks each offer a different emphasis.

Gardens and walking routes

The garden at Acorn Bank contains more than 275 varieties of herbs. This diversity makes the garden a clear botanical highlight for anyone interested in plants. The herb collection offers a specific point of interest if you would like to plan your trip around your interests.

A public footpath connects Temple Sowerby and Acorn Bank over a distance of about a mile. There is also a footpath through The Moss. This makes it possible to distinguish the route to the garden from the route through the woodland.

The Moss: woodland and walking route

The Moss is a significant woodland on the eastern side of Temple Sowerby. It is wet and boggy, and contains many species of aquatic plants. Unlike the herb garden, it is the woodland landscape and aquatic plants that define its natural character. Acorn Bank and The Moss therefore appeal to different interests: herb diversity on the one hand, and a wet woodland on the other.

A footpath runs through The Moss. It can be accessed from Lower Green, between Mickle Bower and Moss Gate, or opposite Red Brows on the old “A66”. Wet conditions may affect access; bear this in mind when planning your route. These access points provide specific guidance when planning a walk through the woodland.

Historical traces

St James Church stands at the edge of Temple Sowerby’s main village green. The listed maypole is another historical landmark: its wrought-iron weather vane is dated 1891. The maypole may stand on the site of an earlier cross. This links a dated detail with a possible earlier history; both belong to different periods in the village’s history.

The present buildings of Acorn Bank Mill, together with its weir, date from the late 18th or early 19th century. Machinery from the mid-19th century has been preserved. The buildings and machinery can therefore be distinguished by date: the buildings are earlier than the preserved equipment.

The history of Sowerby Manor goes back further. Around 1228, it was transferred to the Knights Templar. After their dissolution in 1312, it passed to Robert de Clifford, who transferred it to the Hospitallers in 1323. This chronology covers a different historical timescale from the mill: it traces changes of ownership in the 13th and 14th centuries, while the buildings and machinery of Acorn Bank Mill date from the late 18th and 19th centuries.

Discover more destinations: Tebay, Roose, Rusland, Threlkeld, Backbarrow, Egremont, Broughton-In-Furness, Calthwaite.

For the main travel overview: Cumbria.