Ambleside, Cumbria
Ambleside keeps a proper waterfall round the back of the town. Start behind the Market Hall, walk up Stockghyll Lane past the old mill, and within ten minutes you are in the woods with a 70-foot double cascade crashing down the ravine. It costs nothing, and in spring the whole hillside is daffodils.
The loop is short, under a mile, but it is uphill, with steps and viewing platforms behind railings. A steady three-year-old will manage it with hand-holding, a buggy will not. Cross the bridge at the top for the best look down the falls, then come back on the far bank. There is no parking at the falls, so use the town car parks and count the walk up the lane as part of the outing.
Look out for the old iron revolving turnstile near the top. Victorians paid to see the falls through it, which feels like the right level of respect for a waterfall this good.
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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.
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.
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