LAKESIDE RETREAT
A !er the death of his mother, Ruskin found himself drawn back to the Lake District and, in 1872, moved to Brantwood, a house set in 250 acres overlooking Coniston Water (see boxout). It provided a refuge for Ruskin, who su "ered a series of breakdowns in his later years. In the Lake District he continued his life’s work, helping to support traditional artisan cra !s and introducing skills that enabled local workers to resist the life of servitude o"ered by the factories he despised.
At the Ruskin Museum in Coniston, opened a year a !er
his death, you can see a collection of Ruskin Lace (ruskinmuseum.com) produced by the Langdale Linen Industry. It was supported by Ruskin and helped teach local women to weave so they could produce linen and earn money in their own homes. Covering many aspects of Coniston history, the museum is a veritable cabinet of curiosities, commemorating other !gures including daredevil Donald Campbell, who died in 1967 while a"empting to break the world water speed record at Coniston lake in the Bluebird hydroplane. Be sure to view the collection of Ruskin drawings and watercolours, curated by his assistant, the artist WG Collingwood. Ruskin believed in the value of observing nature, and it’s in his artwork that this is most evident.