Muncaster Castle
A lived-in castle above the Esk with a Hawk and Owl Centre whose flying displays are the real event, gardens to roam and a healthy line in ghost stories for the brave. Far, but it earns the drive.
Days out with the kids in Ravenglass
2 places in Ravenglass, Cumbria. Everything below is within easy reach if you live locally.
2 in Ravenglass
Ravenglass is where the Lakes meet the sea: a terrace of cottages on an estuary, a ruined Roman bath house at the end of a lane, and two proper attractions for somewhere with barely a shop. The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, La'al Ratty to everyone, runs miniature steam trains seven miles up the valley to Dalegarth, and the journey is the attraction rather than the means to one.
Muncaster Castle is the other half: gardens, ghost stories pitched at exactly the right level of silly, and a hawk and owl centre whose flying displays are what children replay in the car. It is a long way from everywhere, well over an hour from the M6, so make it a full day or an overnight rather than a detour. A small place with two big days in it and no padding.
Places in Ravenglass
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
Miniature steam engines - properly miniature, knee-high to a real train - hauling open carriages seven miles into the fells. Forty minutes of pure delight each way; combine with Muncaster next door.
Also worth the drive
Not in Ravenglass, 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.