Heaton Cooper Studio in Grasmere celebrates painter Julian Cooper

Opposite the village green in Grasmere stands a gallery that has been part of Lake District art for well over a century. The Heaton Cooper Studio was established by the landscape painter Alfred Heaton Cooper in 1905, and the present gallery building was built by his son William in 1938.

The family connection remains at the heart of the place. In 2026 the studio opened its exhibition year with The Art of Julian Cooper, a celebration of the landscape painter's work that ran from 19 March to 31 May.

A companion book was published by Unicorn Publishing Group, and Julian Cooper discussed it in conversation with Marie Elsa Bragg at the Words by the Water festival during its 25th anniversary edition.

The programme continued through the summer with an exhibition of work by Linda Cooper from 10 June to 31 August, followed by a show by Max Boardman running from 10 September to 25 October.

The studio's archive gallery gives space to stories of mountain history too. In 2025 it hosted Alan Stones' To The Gate, My Daily Walk, a show called Everest the Hard Way with Community Action Nepal, and an exhibition devoted to Howard Somervell.

Beyond the exhibitions, the studio shows and sells paintings, prints, sculpture and books, and stocks a wide range of artists' materials, making it a useful stop for anyone inspired to pick up a sketchbook themselves.

It is also a pleasant place to linger. The building houses Mathilde's, a Scandinavian-style café designed by Rebecca Heaton Cooper, where visitors can take a break between the galleries and a walk around the lake.

For many visitors the studio is a natural first stop in Grasmere, a chance to see the surrounding fells through the eyes of artists who have painted them for generations before heading out to walk them. The continuity of the Heaton Cooper name, from Alfred to the present day, gives the gallery a strong sense of belonging to the village and its landscape.

With the Max Boardman exhibition on until late October, autumn is a good time to visit. Details of current and future exhibitions are published on the Heaton Cooper Studio website.