Penrith Castle Park
A free park opposite Penrith station with a genuine castle ruin in it, plus a play area, tennis, bowls and an obstacle golf course that costs a pound or two for juniors. Cafe and toilets on site.
Days out with the kids in Penrith
3 places in Penrith, Cumbria, 1 of which cost nothing. Everything below is within easy reach if you live locally.
3 in Penrith1 free
Lowther Castle is why anyone with children drives to Penrith. The Lost Castle playground, built in the grounds of the ruin, is turrets and tunnels and drop slides and zip wires, and the estate reckons it one of the largest adventure playgrounds in the UK. It is £16 for adults, £10 for children, £45 for a family and another £2 to park, so treat it as the entire day and not a stop on the way north.
Places in Penrith
Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park
A 65ft waterfall in National Trust woodland above Ullswater, about a mile there and back from the car park. Tea room, toilets and a picnic area. Parking is £7 for two hours and free for members.
Lowther Castle & Gardens
Come for the playground. The Lost Castle is turrets, tunnels, drop slides and zip wires, built in the grounds of a vast roofless ruin near Penrith and billed as one of the UK's largest adventure playgrounds.
What’s on in Penrith
3 dated events coming up, 3 of them this weekend.
Baby Bounce and Rhyme (opens on Westmorland and Furness Libraries)
Penrith Library
until 15 Oct. Every Tuesday and Thursday, 10am and 11am
Our regular event aimed at children under five and their parents/ carers.
Listed by Westmorland and Furness Libraries · collected 21 Aug
Lego Club (opens on Westmorland and Furness Libraries)
Penrith Library
until 15 Oct. Every Thursday, 4pm
Come along and enjoy our weekly Lego Club for ages 5 and up.
Listed by Westmorland and Furness Libraries · collected 21 Aug
Nature Tots at Penrith (opens on Cumbria Wildlife Trust)
Cumbria Wildlife Trust · Penrith
until 12 Oct. 3 dates, 10am to 11.30am
Join us for a nature-based outdoor sessions for your little ones through the summer.
Listed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust · collected 21 Aug
Also worth the drive
Not in Penrith, but close enough for a day out.
Windermere Lake Cruises
England's biggest lake from the deck of a proper boat, with red, yellow and green routes so you can pick a 45-minute hop or a full lake cruise. Combo tickets pair it with the aquarium or the steam railway.
Brockhole on Windermere
The national park's visitor centre with treetop nets, archery, mini golf, boat hire and a big adventure playground running down to the lake shore. Free to wander; the activities are pay-as-you-go.
The World of Beatrix Potter
Peter Rabbit's world recreated in walk-through scenes, ending in the garden with Mr McGregor's vegetables. Squarely for the under-8s; it is small, sweet and unashamed of it.
Lakes Aquarium
A small, well-done aquarium at the quiet end of Windermere with an underwater tunnel walk beneath the lake's own fish, plus otters and rays. Pairs naturally with the steam railway next door.
Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
A short, perfectly-formed steam line through the Leven valley that connects with the Windermere boats at Lakeside. Do train plus cruise and you have built the classic Lakes day without a single car park argument.
Lakeland Motor Museum
Thousands of vehicles and period pieces packed into a riverside mill, with the Campbell Bluebird story told properly in its own gallery. One for kids who like machines; a surprisingly good wet-weather card.
Whinlatter Forest
England's only true mountain forest: Gruffalo sculptures on the trail, the WildPlay adventure area, red squirrels if you are lucky, and Go Ape for older kids. Views over Derwentwater thrown in.
The Puzzling Place
An anti-gravity room where water appears to run uphill, a hologram gallery and a room that shrinks the grown-ups. Cheap, indoor, and exactly the right length for the age group.
What’s on near you, every Friday
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.