Lowther Castle, Penrith – Perfect Summer Holidays Adventure

Lowther Castle, Penrith
Share

Last weekend we spent a fantastic afternoon at Lowther Castle near Penrith.  We were blessed with fabulous weather but a place that can keep 6 kids ranging from 4-10, 6 adults and a dog happy is definitely worthy of a visit whatever the weather.

Lowther Castle, Penrith

The website describes Lowther Castle as  “A sight of dramatic beauty and splendour” a statement I wholeheartedly agree with.  The castle sits within 130 acres of hidden gardens, enchanting woodland and breath-taking views.  We were there because a new playground had been constructed at the far end of the gardens #thelostcastle but we loved all the winding paths, rope swings and beautiful flowers just as much.

AD | I have been or could be if you click on a link in this post compensated via a cash payment, gift or something else of value for writing this post. See our full disclosure policy and privacy policy for more details.

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle was closed to the public for over 70 years , before becoming subject to one of Europe’s largest renovation projects in 2011.   The Cafe, Shop, Gardens & Gallery are open every day from 10am to 5pm in the summer and between 10am to 4pm in the winter.

Lowther Castle, Penrith

We arrived at just after 1.30pm and met in the beautiful courtyard it was lovely to see all the cousins playing together happily and we sat down to eat our picnic.  I told the boys we were going to head into the grounds to find #thelostcastle and they all said something along the lines of – I hope it isn’t a boring kids playground with nothing for us to do in. Playgrounds can be really quite boring! I hoped #thelostcastle was going to live up to expectations!

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

We wandered through the courtyard into the gardens to be met by stunning wild flowers and the romantic ruins of Lowther Castle itself.  When you buy your tickets to get in (£8 for adults £7 for children, children under 2 are free) you are given a map of the grounds and the option to purchase a children’s Tale Trails map.  The new adventure playground #thelostcastle is situated at the far end of the grounds to encourage families to meander through the rest of the estate to get to it.

So we set off meandering!

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Through the yew lined paths and the vast open spaces to a ‘work in progress’ clearing with some logs and ropes. Is this the playground the boys asked? It’s a bit babyish?

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

No I replied it’s just around this corner as I could see the bridge into #thelostcastle.

2 hours later we had to drag them all out! It definitely wasn’t babyish at all!

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

It’s difficult to explain the scale of #thelostcastle but the facts and figures give you some idea.  17,700 metres of timber has been used. That’s apparently enough timber to run the length of Ullswater one and a half times or 18x the height of Scafell.  This video also does a really good job of showing you round!  The whole place feels brilliantly constructed and kids of all ages were having a fantastic time.  To manage to keep toddlers and ten year olds happy in the same space is a pretty fabulous achievement.

It took some time to drag them away from #thelostcastle but the temptation of the rope swings did the job. Teasing them that the rope swings might be at the top of the hill we made our way to the top to see the spectacular view and let them run back down again to find the rope swings at the bottom.

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

Lowther Castle, Penrith

We only finished playing on the rope swings and left because it was nearly time for Lowther Castle to shut and we wanted a cup of tea and an ice cream before we left.  So we made our way out to the beautiful courtyard once again and reflected on what a lovely day we had had.

Highly recommended for a day out for all the family.

Lowther Castle, Penrith

WHY NOT PIN THIS Post about Lowther Castle FOR LATER

Lowther Castle, Lake District

 

NB: We received complimentary entrance to Lowther Castle but all views and opinions are my own.

+ posts

Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!

Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.

1 thought on “Lowther Castle, Penrith – Perfect Summer Holidays Adventure”

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.