Lowther Castle & Gardens
The Day Out That Left All of Us (Happily) Exhausted
There are days out that are nice. There are days out that are fun. And then there's Lowther Castle, which we can honestly say is one of the most tiring, and one of the best, days we've had as a whole family. If you're after somewhere that will properly wear the kids out while giving the grown-ups something genuinely spectacular to look at too, this is it.
First Impressions
Nothing quite prepares you for the scale of Lowther. You come round a corner and suddenly there's this huge, dramatic Gothic ruin rising up out of the Cumbrian countryside, all towers and empty windows and ivy, and it stops you in your tracks a bit, kids included. It's not a castle you tour room by room, it's a castle you explore from the outside in, wandering through what would once have been grand halls that are now open to the sky. The grounds around it are genuinely massive. We're talking 130 acres of gardens within gardens, wildflower meadows, woodland walks and hidden corners, and honestly we didn't manage to see all of it in one visit. There's something a bit magical about that, actually, it means there's always a reason to go back.
The Lost Castle Play Park
Right, this is the bit the kids will remember. The Lost Castle adventure playground is built to echo the ruins of the real castle, all timber turrets, zip wires, slides, firepoles and crawl-throughs, and it is genuinely one of the best play areas we've ever taken the kids to. It's built from thousands of metres of sustainable timber and it shows, this isn't a bolt-on play area, it's a proper destination in its own right. Here's the thing though, and it's worth knowing before you go: it is huge. If you've got kids of different ages, or more than one child, you need to have your wits about you. We ended up doing one child each for most of our visit, simply because it's so big and so busy with different levels, towers and hidden bits that it's genuinely easy to lose sight of someone for a minute. There's a dedicated toddler area with a sandpit for the little ones, which helps, but the main structure and the Dragon's Lair extension are proper climbing territory for older, more confident kids. The good news for the grown-ups is that you're not just standing at the bottom watching. Parents can get stuck in and climb too, which honestly made our day, there's something quite nice about scrambling round a giant wooden castle with your own kids rather than just supervising from a bench. And if you do need a breather, there are plenty of benches dotted around, plus proper picnic spots if you fancy bringing your own lunch rather than relying on the café.
Food and Facilities
We'll be honest, we went in with fairly low expectations for the cafe food, as these places don't always get it right, and we were properly won over. The main cafe in the courtyard does table service and the food was lovely, a proper step up from your average visitor attraction menu. There's also a takeaway option for a quicker bite, and during weekends and school holidays there's a smaller outdoor cafe right next to the Lost Castle itself, handy for a quick refuel without dragging tired legs all the way back to the main courtyard.
What We Thought
Honestly, by the end of the day everyone, kids and adults, was properly worn out in the best possible way. It's rare to find somewhere that manages to be both a genuinely impressive historic site and a brilliant, hands-on adventure for kids, but Lowther pulls it off. Our only real tip is to plan for a full day rather than a quick visit, and to go in prepared for the play park to take up a serious chunk of your time, because nobody will want to leave.
The Practical Bit
Where: Lowther Castle & Gardens, Lowther, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2HH
When: Open daily except Christmas Day.
Summer hours 10am to 5pm (last entry 4pm), winter hours 10am to 4pm (last entry 3pm)
Cost: Adult £15, Child £10, family ticket (covering castle, gardens, the story of loather exhibition, and the Lost Castle play area) around £45. Carers go free with proof of ID.Â
Parking: £2 a day
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Good to know: Bikes and scooters aren't allowed in the gardens, so best left in the car.Â
Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome throughout.
Book tickets and check current opening times at lowthercastle.org.