Whinlatter Forest
England's only true mountain forest: the Room on the Broom trail, Gruffalo orienteering, the WildPlay trail, red squirrels if you are lucky, and Go Ape for older kids. Views over Derwentwater thrown in.
Keswick Climbing Wall and Rookery Woods
- Cost
- Rookery Woods £6 a child; kids' climbing hour £25
- Ages
- 3 to 14
- Where
- Keswick, Cumbria
- Weather
- Mostly outdoors
- Booking
- Turn up if you can belay; book lessons and the Kids' Hour
Five minutes' drive out of Keswick, near Castlerigg Stone Circle, this is two family activities on one site. The climbing wall has more than 40 top ropes up to 8 metres, giving 120-plus routes, and a 100 square metre bouldering area, with grades from 3+ to 7C, so a nervous beginner and a show-off teenager both get something. Big double doors stay open with a view of the Helvellyn range. It opens 9am to 5pm.
Children cannot just turn up and climb unless an adult with them can belay. Experienced climbers pay £10 for over-6s and £8 for 5 and under, plus £3 each for a harness or shoes. Everyone else books: the Kids' Hour is £25 a child with instructors on the ropes, and a one-hour beginner's lesson at £25 each teaches adults to belay, after which they climb free for the rest of the day.
Rookery Woods is the cheaper half and the one younger children will remember. It is an outdoor adventure play area for those aged 8 and under, with zip lines, slides, a maze, castles, dens and soft archery, at £6 per child for the whole day. From 14 November until early January it gets a festive makeover and an elf hunt. The Hungry Heifer cafe and free parking cover the rest.
What it costs: Rookery Woods £6 per child per day. Climbing wall entry for experienced climbers £10 aged 6 and over, £8 aged 5 and under, harness or shoes £3 each. Kids' Hour Session £25 each. One-hour beginner's lesson £25 each, which certifies adults to belay and supervise up to two others for the rest of the day.
Know before you go
- If no adult in your group can belay, the Kids' Hour (£25 each) is the simple route: instructors do the ropes, and afterwards adults can supervise up to two children each in the bouldering area when it is quiet.
- From 14 November to early January Rookery Woods goes festive, with an elf hunt for eight hidden elves, still at £6 a child.
Worth knowing: Rookery Woods is for ages 8 and under.
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