Lowther Castle & Gardens with Kids: What to Expect

Lowther Castle and Gardens is a large estate with much to explore. The building itself has gone through many transformations and you can learn about its history in the exhibition rooms as part of your admission fee. What’s left of the original castle is now preserved as ruins within the gardens.

The majority of this attraction is outdoors, with vast gardens, woodlands and the main attraction: the enormous adventure playground. The gardens and playground are spread over a large area, so be prepared for plenty of walking. A pushchair may be useful for younger children, although some of the paths and woodland areas are less suited to wheels than others.

Where is Lowther Castle & Gardens

Located a short drive from the M6 near Penrith, Lowther Castle and Gardens is set back from the road down a long driveway. 

Address: Lowther, Penrith CA10 2HH
Click here for Google Maps location of entrance to main car park

Parking

There is ample parking and parking is available for the day at a flat rate of £2, or £2.50 if using the RingGo app. Alternatively parking can be paid for at the same time as purchasing your tickets online, or at the ticket office onsite, located inside the gift shop.

Opening Times

Open daily, all year round (except Christmas day). Last entry is one hour before closing.

• Summer: 10.00am – 5.00pm
• Winter: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Ticket Prices

Admission to the Castle and Gardens is all included in the entrance fee and tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the ticket office on the day. 

2026 ticket prices are:

• Adult – £16
• Child (3–15 years) – £10
• Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) – £45
• Family ticket (1 adult and up to 4 children) – £45
• Under 3 years – Free
• Carer (T&Cs apply) – Free

There are often special offers available, so check the website for up-to-date prices and offers before visiting.

Arriving at Lowther Castle & Gardens

After a short walk from the car park, you are greeted by a large, fairy-tale castle. It’s a truly impressive building and makes for a definite “wow” moment when you first see it.

To enter the castle you go through a courtyard, which is where the majority of facilities are located. The toilets (impressively housed in the converted stables), a cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating, picnic benches and the gift shop (which also doubles up as the ticket office/entrance) can be found here.

If you haven’t pre-paid online, you can pay at the counter in the gift shop. At busy times this can become a rather crowded area. 

After paying, you are sent through a one-way system following an exhibition telling the story of the castle. As far as exhibitions go, there are a lot of written facts and information but nothing hands-on or interactive to pique the interest of younger children. Even the video showing how the building has changed over time is silent and subtitled. Combined with the number of people being funnelled through the space, this is an area you may find yourself whizzing through in order to get outside.

The castle ruins and gardens

As you leave the exhibition, you’re greeted by the castle ruins, where trees, plants and greenery weave their way through the ancient decaying walls, lending a magical feel to it.

Following the map given to you at the entrance, there are expansive gardens to wander through before reaching the Lost Castle adventure playground at the far end. For little legs, the walk may seem quite far, but the variety of garden styles offers plenty of mini adventures along the way.

Taking an anti-clockwise direction, you will walk through the many different themed gardens. Children will enjoy exploring the many nooks, crannies, trails and paths. Discover a Roman bath to clamber into, rose gardens to get lost in, summerhouses to rest in and Japanese gardens to admire.

The route leads into the wilder, wooded area and here you’ll find a toilet block and a cafe hut called Into the Woods selling take-away drinks and a small selection of food. There are picnic benches set amongst the trees and a fun series of tree trunk stepping stones and wooden planks to balance on.

The Lost Castle adventure playground

After the toilets and food hut the path continues further into the woods to the adventure playground. Modelled on a castle, you don’t get to see the extent of the park until you walk up the ramp and here you are greeted by the largest adventure playground in the country!

A truly massive playground opens out in front of you, and older children will love getting lost exploring all the different areas. Spread over several floors and sections, The Lost Castle has an endless range of steps, bridges, tunnels, zip lines, climbing nets, slides and swings to discover.

There is also a whole section of the playground for babies and toddlers. Younger children can play in the sand, explore smaller bridges and tunnels (adults, you’ll need to duck here!), as well as enjoying a toddler zip-line, swings and smaller slides.

Tip: Take a picnic blanket with you on a busy day as there’s limited bench seating within The Lost Castle, though plenty of room to set up ‘camp’.

The tree swing

Children will be truly exhausted by the time you leave the playground, but if you can make time to head past the tree swing on your way back to the castle, it provides a welcome break from the walk.

It’s a popular spot, so you may have to wait your turn, but it’s a fun little addition and gives children something else to look forward to on the journey back.

Eateries

There are cafes at both the castle courtyard and next to the lost castle playground, providing options for drinks, snacks and food during your visit. Note that only the courtyard cafe has indoor seating. 

There are also picnic benches available, making bringing your own lunch an easy option.

Facilities

• Exhibition
• Adventure playground
• Cafes
• Toilets
• Baby changing facilities
• Picnic areas
• Gift shop
• Cycle hire

The Lake District Kids verdict

Lowther Castle and Gardens makes for a lovely family day out in the Lake District. Be prepared to spend a full day here, particularly if your children are anything like ours, they won’t want to leave The Lost Castle playground!

The playground is definitely the highlight, with plenty for both younger and older children to explore. There is something for all children, they could spend hours making their way around the bridges, tunnels, climbing nets and slides.

The varied gardens also provide a welcome distraction from what could otherwise be a long walk there and back. With plenty to discover along the way, the gardens turn the journey into part of the adventure rather than simply a walk to the playground. 

The size of the site does mean there is a lot of walking, so younger children may need a pushchair and it is worth allowing plenty of time for the visit. The majority of the experience is outdoors, so the weather will definitely have an impact on your day.