Today we had the lovely experience of getting out further into the Lake District and visiting Lowther Castle! It was about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying, which is about the ceiling of what the girls are comfortable sitting in the car for. We did miss our exit, which added a bunch of time, which was a tad rough, but it made the arrival that much more savory.

When you arrive, like with most of these that we have visted so far, the ease of parking entirely depends on when you arrive. We arrived right on the edge of finding parking in the main lot, but I think it was quite literally the last spot. The overflow isn’t far off, but the extra 100 yards after a long day of play does make a difference. That being said, it was very easy to go from parked, to paid for parking, to walking up to the Castle!

Once inside, we immediately went to some of the coolest bathrooms I have ever seen. They are like horse stalls! But more importantly, they are stacked three together, with their own sink, so the whole family could visit conveniently, wash our hands, and get ready for the cafe.

The cafe was big, easily one of the biggest one’s we have been to. You have to be seated here, so unlike some of the others which are counter service, this was “order at counter, brought to table” service, so kind of a mix. Seemed a tad confusing, as there were no numbers given out, the staff just had to search you out, but it worked out. The food itself was okay. I got the Falafel Wrap (I am a vegitarian), Rebecca got the Chicken Coronation sandwich (which she loved), and my kids both got cheese sandwiches. I was somewhat “meh” on my falafel, it wsn’t bad, but wasn’t great. Rebecca LOVED her sandwich, so do that if you go. One kid ate their entire bag, the other kid pretty much licked a chip and was over it.

After lunch, we embarked on the castle! The castle is about 1/3rd of it’s former size, which is still quite massive. There isn’t much to actually explore within the castle, but there are about 6 or 7 rooms worth of exhibits and history. Unfortunately the castle fell into disrepair due to lack of investment, and then it was pillaged and destroyed for raw materials during wartime, so that is why only some if it still stands. But currently, it is being maintained by the English Historic Trust and they are doing their best to preserve the standing structure, and let me tell you, it is still quite breathtaking for what it is.

You will get through the first part, with kids, in 30-45 minutes or so. There isn’t much to “see” per se, so unless your kids like observing beautiful art, magnificent trophies or a historical silver collection (spoiler alert: they wont), its off to the gardens with you! I only took videos of the gardens, but you can pretty much wander the gardens and grounds for HOURS if that’s what you choose to do. Depending on the age and interests of your children, that would be perfect! There are so many climbable trees, nooks for hide and seek, and “fairy houses” littered around the grounds, that you really cannot go wrong with simply strolling at whatever pace makes sense for you.

We sw the Rock Garden, Japanese Gardens, Roman Pillars, Sweet- Scented Gardens and Rose Garden. Each area had things that were very kid friendly: ponds, rose bushes to smell, houses to explore, trees to climb on, paths to chase their siblings down, and so on. We saw so many kids running around just about every area, it felt magical. Our kids could be loud and weird, and no one cared. Then we made our way “Into The Woods”, which was essentially the childrens play area and WOW. This place absolutely rivals Chatsworth House as far as shear epic-ness. The play structure was STUNNING!

Pictures won’t even do it justice, there is no way to capture how epic this thing was. Seeing our kids come around the corner and feast their eyes on the possibilities this place held made the entire day worth it. They vanished so fast, I was mid trying to put my youngests’ coat on and was like stuck in that pose for a few seconds before I realized they were gone. Then they were two stories above me playing dragons, so that was that.

An hour or longer went by in a blur, and we had to get moving, but the kids could have easily spent another hour before they needed to refuel (then return). If it weren’t for the half mile walk between the cafe and the play structure, I think it could have made for a very fun all day play session. But between all of the walking, exploring and playing , I think we were ready to wrap it up.

On our way out, your boy needed a cuppa, so we stopped at the cafe once more to get hot chocolate and tea. Rebecca got a fruit scone and clotted cream (6.5/10) and I tried an “Earl Gray Teacake” (6/10). The kids loved their hot chocolate, and as per usual, one of our children left wearing a quarter of their cup. We hopped back in the car and then enjoyed arguably the most enjoyable drive we have had since being in this country, so that was a VERY nice way to round out the day.

Lowther Castle with Small Kids:

Accessibility: 8/10 (very flat, but everything is fairly far, so get your walking shoes on)

Food: 7/10 (My wife and daughter loved theirs)

Interesting Stuff For Kids: 4/10 (No treasure hunt or fun activities like some of the others, but the play are was amazing)

Castle-y-ness: 10/10 (bonafide castle)

Play Area: 10/10 (dude, I had fun playing on this thing)

Overall: 7.8

Follow me on socials: