Every shade in Parnassus’s collection draws inspiration from the landscapes surrounding our Lake District farms. These colours aren’t simply chosen – they’re discovered in the red-brown tones of Ullswater’s deer, the charcoal black of the Duddon Valley’s industrial heritage, the rich copper of Coniston’s mines, and the bright greens of Grasmere’s valley floor. Each shade reflects a place, its story, and the life that continues to shape it.
Our farms work in harmony with their surroundings, and the Parnassus palette mirrors the natural beauty and resilience of these landscapes. By capturing the essence of the local fells, forests, and waters, every item becomes a tribute to the Lake District – a living landscape that inspires us daily and grounds our craft in its timeless, elemental hues.
The Grasmere Valley (linking the villages of Grasmere, Rydal, and Ambleside) forms one of the most fertile and picturesque corners of the Lake District. Its sweeping meadows and patchwork fields were shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago, leaving behind rich soils that nurture thriving farmland today. Between Grasmere and Rydal Water, the valley floor bursts into life each spring, its vibrant greens mirrored in the surrounding waters. This landscape has long inspired poets (like William Wordsworth), farmers and visitors, a place where natural beauty and working land coexist. The bright green chosen for Grasmere represents this vitality and balance – the living colour of renewal that defines the heart of the Lakes and reflects the landscape’s timeless connection between people, place, and nature.
The Coniston Valley has long been shaped by its mining heritage. From the 16th century until the 1950s, generations of miners worked in the fells above Coniston Water, extracting copper to drive the industrial growth of northern England. The remains of shafts, spoil heaps and engine houses still mark the landscape, reminders of a community built on hard work and resourcefulness. Beyond its industrial past, Coniston has inspired artists and adventurers alike, from John Ruskin’s vision of craftsmanship at Brantwood to the daring feats of Donald Campbell on the lake’s surface. The copper tone we’ve chosen reflects Coniston’s history and its spirit – the warm, metallic glow of mined ore and the burnished hues that shimmer across the fells at sunset.
The Duddon Valley lies in the remote western reaches of the Lake District – a wild, unspoilt landscape often missed by visitors but rich in industrial history. For centuries, the valley thrived on slate quarrying, copper mining, iron smelting, peat extraction and cloth manufacturing. The surrounding woodlands once fuelled these industries through the production of charcoal, and traces of old charcoal-burning ‘pitsteads’ can still be found across the western slopes. The Duddon Valley is one of the quieter places in the Lake District, its industrial echoes softened by woodland and fells. Yet the valley’s story remains written in its dark soils and ancient oak woods. The deep black we’ve chosen for the Duddon Valley takes its cue from the charcoal that once fired its furnaces. The colour captures both the valley’s resilience and its enduring connection to the earth.
The Ullswater valley is known for its deer population, with a strong history of deer hunting parks. Martindale, on the southern side of Ullswater, is home to the oldest, native, pure-bred red-deer population in the UK. During the autumn months, it’s common to hear the sound of the rutting echo across the valley. Historically, the Ullswater valley was home to many deer hunting parks owned by the Duke of Norfolk based at Greystoke Castle. The founding farm for the Parnassus brand, Gowbarrow Hall Farm, located on the northern shores of the lake, was part of one of these deer parks. It’s currently undergoing restoration of the historic wood pasture that would have been home to these wild deer. At the top of the valley lies the village of Hartsop, which translates from Old English to “Valley of the Deer”. Today you can regularly see red and roe deer throughout the valley. They even swim across the lake to reach their favourite areas. The deep reddish brown that we have selected to represent the Ullswater Valley is similar to the colour of the red deer that are synonymous with the valley.