This post is based on a visit in August 2021. Always check details with Lowther Castle direct before making plans as information can change over time.
During our stay with Orchard Hideaways, I asked for recommendations for places to visit and Lowther Castle is somewhere which popped up time and time again. It was only a short drive from where we were staying, so we decided to go for it. Wow! we were blown away with how fantastic the adventure playground was and I cannot wait to share it with you in this post today.
During our stay with Orchard Hideaways, I asked for recommendations for places to visit and Lowther Castle is somewhere which popped up time and time again. It was only a short drive from where we were staying, so we decided to go for it. Wow! we were blown away with how fantastic the adventure playground was and I cannot wait to share it with you in this post today.
Lowther Castle is located near Penrith in the North Lakes. It is just under 80 miles / a 1 hr 45 minute drive from Newcastle. As far as I can see, there is no direct public transport but taxis are readily available from Penrith (which has good rail and bus connections). It is currently free to park at Lowther Castle.
Lowther Castle is not a National Trust or English Heritage property and you do need to pay to visit. It isn't a cheap day out but there are discounts available for English Heritage members, Gardeners' World 2for1 card holders and My Cumbria card holders.
Dogs are welcome to visit the castle and estate on leads (they aren't allowed inside the adventure playground), under 3s are free and annual passes are available.
Lowther Castle is free to visit for Historic House Association and Royal Horticultural Society members. You can check out prices / booking info here.
As a guide, I paid around £36 for one adult (with an English Heritage discount) and three children to visit in August 2021.
The Lost Castle Adventure Playground is just part of the Lowther Castle Estate. It is a 10-15 minute easy stroll through the gardens at the opposite end of the estate to the entrance. The route is accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Dogs are welcome to visit the castle and estate on leads (they aren't allowed inside the adventure playground), under 3s are free and annual passes are available.
Lowther Castle is free to visit for Historic House Association and Royal Horticultural Society members. You can check out prices / booking info here.
As a guide, I paid around £36 for one adult (with an English Heritage discount) and three children to visit in August 2021.
The Lost Castle Adventure Playground is just part of the Lowther Castle Estate. It is a 10-15 minute easy stroll through the gardens at the opposite end of the estate to the entrance. The route is accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Once you have entered the Lowther Castle Estate, you can come and go to the adventure playground as often as you like. There is seating and the play area is fairly sheltered from surrounding trees. You are asked not to take food and drinks into the playground itself but you can enjoy in the vicinity on the seats and tables nearby.
The first thing that strikes you is that the Lost Castle Adventure Playground is HUGE. It would be very easy to lose a child here so if your kids are young, you will probably need to follow them around the frames (which many parents did do and actually seemed to be enjoying themselves). You can take wheelchairs and pushchairs up onto the main castle framework and many parents seemed to do this with their little ones.
There is a dedicated toddler area and the Lost Castle is kind of split into sections so if your kids can follow instructions, you could move around zones with them and set up a new base each time as you let them explore. There are sheltered seating areas inside of the castle where some parents seemed to set up a base as well as several picnic tables and benches on the outskirts.
The phone signal isn't the best in this area.
There are loads of different areas and types of play equipment to explore including:
- Castle Forts
- Nets
- Firepoles
- Basket Swings
- Zip wires
- Slides
- Walkways
- Climbing frames
- Sand Pits
- Tunnel Slides
- Toddler Zone
- Swings
- Rope Bridges
Just next to the main castle play frame is a more natural play area. Dogs aren't permitted in the main Lost Castle area but they did seem to be allowed in this section. Expect logs to walk on, den building, tree stumps, trees to climb..... that kind of thing. There is more seating here and you are just 30 seconds from the main castle. You will also find the loos and a takeaway cafe in this section too.
We booked a time slot for opening and practically had the adventure playground to ourselves for the first hour but it did get significantly busier after 11am. It is not somewhere I would recommend visiting if you are looking for a quiet day out. Because the adventure playground is so big though, there was never a wait for any equipment or queues of any kind.
You could spend the whole of your visit at Lowther Castle in the Lost Castle Adventure Playground but your ticket does admit you to the castle and the rest of the gardens too.
I have to say, the gardens at Lowther Castle were pretty disappointing and if you are going to visit just for the gardens, I would probably choose nearby Askham Hall instead. Their gardens are much more established.
We walked a different route back to the entrance though so did get to see them. Our highlights were the incredible viewing points offering beautiful views and the rose garden which was lovely.
Lowther Castle itself is stunning too and really reminded me of the kind of castle you'd expect to see in a fairytale. Visitors can explore the exhibition sharing the history of the castle indoors as well as the outdoor areas too.
You could spend the whole of your visit at Lowther Castle in the Lost Castle Adventure Playground but your ticket does admit you to the castle and the rest of the gardens too.
I have to say, the gardens at Lowther Castle were pretty disappointing and if you are going to visit just for the gardens, I would probably choose nearby Askham Hall instead. Their gardens are much more established.
We walked a different route back to the entrance though so did get to see them. Our highlights were the incredible viewing points offering beautiful views and the rose garden which was lovely.
Lowther Castle itself is stunning too and really reminded me of the kind of castle you'd expect to see in a fairytale. Visitors can explore the exhibition sharing the history of the castle indoors as well as the outdoor areas too.
The food at Lowther Castle comes highly recommended and the main cafe is at the entrance with plenty of seating inside and out. We didn't time our visit with a meal time though and main meals were not being served at the time we were there so we didn't get to sample ourselves. It does receive fab reviews though so if you can, maybe time a visit over lunch.
I would recommend Lowther Castle Lost Castle Adventure Playground to families with toddlers up to around aged 12. It really is one of the best playgrounds we have ever visited and worth visiting if you are staying in the area or even a nice as a day trip. Lowther Castle is also a very short drive from Center Parcs Penrith if you can tear yourself away.
Find out more here: https://lowthercastle.org/visiting/the-lost-castle/
Find out more here: https://lowthercastle.org/visiting/the-lost-castle/
Other posts featuring the Lake District you may be interested in:
- Dog-friendly glamping at Orchard Hideaways & ideas for things to do in Penrith
- 10 Ways to save money at Center Parcs
- 13 Reasons to visit Windermere Jetty with Kids
- A Lakes Distillery Tour with Kids
- A Photo diary from a day trip to the Lake District
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