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.
Penrith Leisure Centre and Jungle Jacks
Penrith & Ullswater, Cumbria
Jungle Jacks is the soft play inside Penrith Leisure Centre: swamps to plodge through, tunnels, swinging through the trees and wobbly walkways, for children 10 and under. At £5.70 a child it is the cheap option in Penrith, and it is open 9 to 6 on weekdays and 9 to 4 at weekends.
The same building has a 25m pool and a learner pool, a climbing wall, a cafe and, on Saturday mornings, an inflatable zone. Public swimming slots are scattered through the week, so treat the pool as a bonus to fit round the timetable rather than the plan.
What it costs: Jungle Jacks soft play (non-member): under 2s £3.50, over 2s £5.70. Swimming (non-member): adult £6.10, junior 8 to 15 £4.10. Climbing wall junior (under 18) £6.90 non-member. Pool parties with inflatable £150 to £170 an hour.
Know before you go
- The inflatable zone only runs on Saturdays, 9.30 to 2.
- Soft play is open 9 to 6 on weekdays and 9 to 4 at weekends, but public swim times are patchy on weekdays, so check the pool timetable separately.
Worth knowing: Jungle Jacks is for 10 and under.
Looking for more days out in Penrith & Ullswater?
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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.