ACROSS the fair kingdom of Cumbria lie many treasures.

Cultural or otherwise.

One such gem is across the courtyard from Abbot Hall Art Gallery at Kendal, nestled in the old coach house and stable block: the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry, fondly regarded as MOLLI. Abbot Hall and its stable block was originally designed as an opulent house by architect John Carr of York in 1759 for Colonel George Wilson of Dallam Tower. Recognised as Kendal's finest building, it was lived in by a succession of different families over the next century and purchased by Kendal Corporation in 1896 for £3,750. Together with the castle and the parish church, Abbot Hall was the only grade one listed building in the town.

By the 1950s it was almost derelict and threatened with demolition until a group of local people formed a charitable trust and raised money to save it. Abbot Hall opened as a public art gallery in 1962 and the museum was opened nine years later, in 1971, by Princess Alexandra.

Today the museum displays important pieces from an extensive collection of more than 30,000 pieces relating to the social and industrial history of the region. Visitors can step back in time and discover how the people of Cumbria lived, played and worked through a wonderful mixture of exhibitions, period rooms and a chance to wander down a Victorian Street Scene. There is also a display dedicated to children’s author, Arthur Ransome, who brought tales of the Lake District to life in his Swallows and Amazons series. Actually, the museum is now the registered office of the Arthur Ransome Society.