Walby Farm Park
Cumbria's big family farm park: animal handling, giant jumping pillows, pedal go-karts and an indoor play barn big enough to lose a wet afternoon in. The far-north option when you are up that way.
Watchtree Nature Reserve
Carlisle, Cumbria
Watchtree is 205 acres of reserve on the Solway plain, six miles south west of Carlisle, with clear views to the northern fells and out over the estuary. It is a registered charity, free to walk into and free to park, and the whole site is built around a network of accessible trails, which in practice means a buggy or a wheelchair covers the same ground as everybody else.
The bikes are what turn it into a day out. Without them it is a nice walk and not much more. Watchtree Wheelers keep over a hundred of them, described as suitable for all abilities, and hire costs extra, though the charity puts no price list on the site. The coffee shop does homemade food from 9am to 4.30pm.
What there is not is a playground. Instead you get hides, an education zone and a great many birds, so bring somebody who will look through binoculars, or bring the bikes.
Know before you go
- Bike hire is not priced anywhere on the website. Ring or email first, because the bikes are the difference between an hour here and half a day.
- Last entry is 4pm and the car park is locked at 5pm. Turning up at three wastes the drive out.
Worth knowing: There is no playground. It works on bikes, hides and trails.
Looking for more parks & outdoors near Carlisle?
Also in Carlisle
Carlisle Castle
A working border fortress for 900 years, not a fairytale castle: a squat red keep full of prisoners' carvings, ramparts to walk and a military museum inside the walls. English Heritage, so members go free and everyone else should book online for the discount.
Tullie
Carlisle's museum, plain Tullie since the rebrand, mid-transformation and all the better for it: under-18s go free, the adult ticket is £8.50, and £16 buys an annual pass. New galleries opened in 2025, though some of the old favourites are shut for the next phase.
Bitts Park
Carlisle's big riverside park, right under the castle walls: a large play area for all ages, a free splash park in the warmer months, skate park and acres of grass where the Eden and Caldew meet. The obvious free half of a Carlisle day.
Solway Aviation Museum
A genuine Avro Vulcan and a line of Cold War aircraft parked on the apron at Carlisle Airport, with volunteers who open them up and let children climb inside. Canberra, Sea Prince and Trident stay open all year.
Hammond's Pond
Carlisle's south side park, with free parking on two sides, play zones, a brand new concrete skatepark, a games court and a seasonal cafe. A miniature railway runs Sunday afternoons from Easter to October.