One Of My Favourite Places - Lowther Castle in Penrith

The stunning backdrop of the castle from the large lawn area in the gardens

Having visited Lowther Castle last year for the first time we finally got a chance to re-visit at a nicer time of the year. It has to be one of my favourite places to go even if we don't get here as often as I'd like.

I could happily wander through these gardens every day they are so extensive and intriguing; whether following the meandering paths or wondering at the huge trees you can almost imagine all the people who have walked here before, and perhaps this is why I love this place so much, it captures your imagination on so many levels.

The history of the castle is fascinating and being in the ruins feels both inspiring and sad, it's a shame that such a beautiful piece of architecture can't be fully used as once intended. Trying to imagine where all the floors were, how it was adorned and who may have once swept through the halls is a great way to engage the kids and make the history come alive, or at least keep them from moaning about history....?

I would love to see an interactive way to show how the castle would have looked back in its full glory especially when you are stood in that particular part of the ruin.

Inside the castle ruins

From the family point of view this place provides a full day out for the kids; the Lost Castle is a play area of sheer beauty and even the most play park jaded adult will appreciate the effort that's gone into it (and enjoy a play or two themselves!). You can easily lose a good few hours on here alone.

The lovely rope swings in the trees

Then back to the extensive gardens, honestly they are huge! We really enjoyed the bear hunt trail that was on when we visited and we discovered some lovely areas of the gardens that we didn't see on our last visit. There are hidden gems everywhere and even when it's busy you can find secluded parts where you can appreciate the beauty of the nature around you.

Bow and I enjoyed the peace of the pond

Another bonus, it's dog friendly! They aren't allowed in the play area section but are allowed on lead everywhere else; it's nice to have the furry members of the household join us too and means we don't have to keep an eye on the clock to get home for them. 

The children just love being able to explore the grounds and there's a little something to find around every corner. We had to tear them away from the little house they discovered.

A little den for them!

There's a lovely cafe in the courtyard, again dog friendly, and on warm days it would be lovely having a picnic in the grounds. It's not the cheapest entry £29 for family ticket, you can also get 10% off if ordering online, but it feels like great value for money as you can easily while away the whole day there and guaranteed with all the running, climbing and fresh air the kids will sleep like logs at bedtime!

Since we head South on our way home we also got to visit the infamous Tebay services on our way home and picked up some interesting foods for our tea. For deli food, unusual finds and splashing some cash (it's certainly not the cheapest!) this place ticked all those, I think it must be the only service station in the country that doesn't house a fast food chain which says it all really!