Ambleside, Cumbria
Ambleside Climbing Wall is a compact centre a few minutes' walk from the middle of Ambleside, run by Ambleside Adventure, with a bouldering room of more than 30 problems for all levels and an older lead wall. Bouldering needs no ropes or harness, just shoes and a padded floor, which makes it the easy way in for children.
Anyone six and over can boulder unsupervised for £11 for two hours, with an adult watching at one adult to two children. There are no auto-belays, so if the children want to go higher on ropes, book the one-hour public taster at £25 with an instructor and all the kit. Cafe Altitude overlooks the wall and the Lake Road pay and display car park is next door, so parents are well looked after.
What it costs: Unsupervised bouldering £11 per person for two hours, paid on arrival; ages 6 and over, with an adult supervising under-18s at one adult to two children. One-hour public taster with an instructor £25, gear included, from age 6.
Worth knowing: Bouldering from 6; under-18s need an adult at one to two.
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The mock-gothic castle on Windermere's quiet shore, famous for its kid-friendly interior - which is exactly the bit that is closed for restoration until 2027. The grounds, lakeshore and cafe stay open and free, and arriving by boat from Ambleside is still a great small adventure.
A 70-foot waterfall ten minutes' walk from Ambleside's shops, free, and genuinely dramatic after rain. Steps, tree roots and drops mean it is a walk for legs, not buggies.
Thirty acres between Ambleside and Grasmere with no gate to pay at. Children go for the Grot, a stone hut of 1668 whose window frames Rydal Falls, and the waterfall by the car park.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.