On the edge of The Lake District, you’ll want to strap your kids’ boots on. Climb to the top of Aira Force waterfall with the dog (watch out for big drops) and on to Long Meg and Her Daughters. Plan a picnic on the rocks. Feeling lazy? Succumb to horsepower with Happy Hooves. Cool off in summer in the outdoor pools at Askham or Lazonby.
Meet the cuties and watch the goats race at Walby Farm Park. Take a steamer ride on Ullswater and spot the lake monsters. Walk the circular path at Talkin Tarn Country Park. Join a wolf pack at Predator Experience, step inside a fox enclosure, or just walk with hawks. Or choose from 35 challenges at Treetop Trek Windermere.
Discover pottery from the Plumpton Roman Fort plus plenty of historical and contemporary art at the Penrith and Eden Museum. Head to the Lakeland Motor Museum to see a full-size replica of Donald Campbell’s Bluebell car. Or meet Peter Rabbit and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle at The World of Beatrix Potter.
Keep everyone happy at The Rheged Centre, with a diverse programme of exhibitions, live streaming, film, family entertainment, shopping and dining under a unique grass roof. Meet gentle rescue animals and take an educational tour at Barnhill Donkeys Retreat. Or combine history with a picnic and a spot of crazy golf at Penrith Castle.
Plenty of fells, mountains and lakes here to hold your attention. But it’s a hotbed of history, too. Take Lowther Castle, just south of Penrith on a limestone bluff with stunning views over the Bampton Valley. You’ll love the exhibition; the kids will love the adventure playground. Dive into the deli at The Rheged Centre on the way home.
Head to Cumbria Adventures to shoot clay, ping paintball, zorb, quad or even sumo. Quadbike at Rookin House. Bring your clubs for Penrith Golf Course. Go Ape at Whinlatter, ride the country lanes with bikes from Cyclewise. Fish the River Eden or hire boats from Glenridding Sailing Centre.
Enjoy gingerbread that gets Taylor Swift’s seal of approval at Grasmere. Ride ponies at Bassenthwaite. Go pastry-crazy at Tortree, home to the Egon Ronay award-winning organic village bakery. Relax with vinotherapy at the North Lakes Hotel and Spa. Or take a quirky workshop: maybe artisan bread-baking or longbow making?
Brave the drive over the Kirkstone, Lakeland’s highest pass, or traverse the Honister Pass and get seriously distracted by the Honister Slate Mines, with its fast zip line. Fly falcons at the Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre. Or tackle the Lakeland peaks, or just the riverside walk at Kirkby Stephen – but watch out for marauding macaws.
