Family Outdoor Activities in the Lake District - Winter Edition
There is SO much to do in the Lake District for families, with kids of all ages, so it’s sometimes hard to know where to start with recommendations. But right now we’re in January, and without realising it I have a mental agenda of the things we attempt to do in winter with the kids in tow in order to try and get us all outdoors. Our kids are currently 2&4 so this may not suit all families, but I hope that these three days out have a bit of longevity in them as they are my current favourites!
Sizergh Castle is a National Trust property about 30 minutes drive from Ridge House. I’ve not actually been to the castle itself but I do highly recommend their (free) Wild Trail. This is a brilliant little circular woodland trail with signboards to read and clues to follow, logs to balance on and rocks to scramble over. My kids love it, and even on a wet cold day the trees provide a good bit of shelter. It is definitely NOT buggy friendly, so bring a sling or carrier if you have little ones with tired legs. The actual trail is not that long (2.5km), and is the kind of thing you can make a lot longer by stopping to look at every little mushroom and insect your toddler points out! There’s a picnic table and a swing at the end but even better is to head back to the carpark where there’s a decent cafe (kid’s colouring and toys in the corner by the sofas) to dry everyone out and get those hot chocolates that you definitely didn’t bribe your children into their waterproofs with. This is a useful instagram post which probably summarises it better than me! Or alternatively a blog post from North West for Kids.
2. Lowther Castle Adventure Playground
Lowther is about 45 minutes drive from Ridge House and is privately owned. Now it is pretty pricey for a one-off trip: entry is £15/adult and £10/child (under-3s are free) or £45/family for the day which is quite a lot but you can make a whole day of it in my opinion. (We actually have season passes because you only have to go 3 times to make it worth it!) The carpark is at the castle which is mainly a ruin but still pretty impressive if you’re into historic buildings. There’s then quite a long walk (10mins adult pace) to the adventure playground but you go through the extensive gardens which are quite fun and we often take both double buggy and bikes for the kids so there’s lots of options. You also can walk along the escarpment (get a map when you get your tickets) which has an amazing view. I feel ‘adventure playground’ slightly under-sells “the lost castle” which is an epic adventure playground full of turrets, zip wires, tunnels, sandpits and other fun things. As an adult I genuinely enjoy chasing my kids around this - which is saying something! Visit Lake District has some good pictures. The only thing lacking in my opinion is one of those converted horse-boxes selling coffee at the playground itself, as the main cafe back at the carpark is just a bit too far to get a takeaway coffee from as you’d have drunk/lost your kids it by the time you got back! Having said that it’s a really decent cafe and we usually go for lunch there after a couple of hours at the playground.
3. Elterwater to Chesters Walk
I have this on my winter list because personally, I avoid the Lake District in the summer. I can’t cope with traffic in any form and because I live here I can be choosy about avoiding crowds! Also, Chesters is a really nice cafe and I have seen people queuing out of the door (even in winter!) and I never want to have to deal with the meltdown of ‘sorry guys, no cake, cafe is full’ scenario! I like to start this walk by parking at Chesters Cafe (about an hour’s drive from Ridge House) and then do an out and back to Elterwater. The walk is buggy, bike, balance-bike, toddler-walking friendly, and it’s along the river so you get lovely views looking towards the Langdales. It’s about 2km each way and there’s also a pub at Elterwater (Britannia Inn) and a cafe (Slates) - both fab - if you need sustenance (or to dry out) at the halfway point. The other reason this is a great winter option is that its low level so fairly sheltered, and the path is pretty decent, so even if you have to jump a few puddles, you shouldn’t get too covered in mud! This blog post has a bit more detail and some other parking options.
