Things to do in Penrith and the Eden Valley
Fifteen days out in and around Penrith, from a free castle opposite the station to a stone circle in a field, with the prices, parking and winter closures checked.
The short answer
The top things to do in Penrith are Penrith Castle (free), Rheged for rainy days, Lowther Castle and Gardens with its Lost Castle playground, and Brougham Castle. Nearby in the Eden Valley are Acorn Bank's orchards, the free Mayburgh Henge, Long Meg and Her Daughters stone circle, Appleby-in-Westmorland and the Ullswater Steamers from Pooley Bridge.
Checked 12 October 2026. Prices, opening times and event dates change, so the official link on each place is the one to trust on the day.
Things to do in Penrith and the Eden Valley, a list that starts with a small problem: type "things to do in Penrith" into a search engine and half the first page is about Penrith in New South Wales, which has a lot of sunshine and very few red sandstone castles. This one is about ours. Penrith is the red stone market town at junction 40 of the M6, the place most families drive straight past on the way to Ullswater or Keswick, usually with someone in the back asking for a wee. It deserves better than a petrol stop. Within twenty minutes of the town centre there is a free castle in a park, a second castle with a keep you can climb, two prehistoric henges you can walk round for nothing, a ruined mansion with one of the biggest adventure playgrounds in the country, and an orchard with 165 kinds of apple.
Further east the Eden Valley gets quieter and greener: Appleby with its sloping main street, Kirkby Stephen with a volunteer railway, and a stone circle near Little Salkeld that most people have never heard of. We live up the road in Stanwix, Carlisle, so Penrith is our nearest proper day out that does not involve a fell, which suits two children whose legs have a strict 200 metre warranty.
Things to do in Penrith: the quick plan
- Free and in town: Penrith Castle, Penrith and Eden Museum, and the walk up to the Beacon.
- Rainy day: Rheged, two minutes from the M6, with a giant cinema screen, indoor play and a cafe.
- Big day out with kids: Lowther Castle and Gardens and its adventure playground, The Lost Castle.
- History for nothing: Mayburgh Henge and King Arthur's Round Table at Eamont Bridge.
- Further afield: Appleby, Kirkby Stephen East station and the Smardale Gill viaduct path.
- Dates this autumn: the Winter Droving on Saturday 24 October 2026, Lights of Lowther from 14 November and Penrith Sparkle on Saturday 21 November.
A word on timing. Late October to the end of January is when some of the big houses shut, so this guide says plainly which places are open in winter and which are having a lie-in until spring.
Penrith town: castle, museum and the Beacon
Penrith town centre is compact enough to do on foot, which is lucky, because you will park once and then spend the day defending that decision. The streets around Market Square and Devonshire Street are where the shops and cafes are, and the Penrith Farmers' Market fills Market Square on the third Tuesday of the month from March to December, 9am to 3.30pm (the next two are 20 October and 17 November).
Penrith Castle
A red sandstone ruin standing in a public park opposite the railway station, free to wander round and open in line with the park. English Heritage says Ralph Neville began it at the end of the 14th century and that Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III, turned it into a grand residence. These days it is mostly walls, sky and children running along the edge of the moat ditch while a parent says "careful" on a loop.
It is a short stop rather than a day out, half an hour, maybe an hour if there is a sword-fighting argument to settle. Pair it with the museum and lunch in town. There is a cafe in the park (not run by English Heritage) and public toilets.
- Price
- Free
- Opening
- 7.30am to 4.30pm from October to 30 March; 7.30am to 9pm from 31 March to September
- Parking
- Car parks around town; a few spaces at the park entrance
- Toilets
- Public toilets and a cafe in the park
- Buggy access
- Good park paths; some steps in the castle; step-free entrance from Ullswater Road
- Check first
- Smoking, barbecues and naked flames are not allowed
Penrith and Eden Museum
A free museum in Robinson's School on Middlegate, a building that used to be a school, which feels appropriate given how much there is to learn and how few people go in. It covers the history of Penrith and the Eden Valley, and it is the right size for small children: big enough to fill a wet hour, small enough that nobody has a meltdown in the third gallery.
It is on almost no "things to do in Penrith" lists we found, which is odd for a free, central, dry place. Go in, then walk five minutes to the castle.
- Price
- Free
- Opening
- Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm; closed over Christmas and New Year
- Parking
- Town centre car parks; none at the museum
- Address
- Robinson's School, Middlegate, Penrith CA11 7PT
- Check first
- Call 01768 865105 for access details before you go
Penrith Beacon
The stone beacon on Beacon Hill above the town was built in 1719, on a spot where warning fires were lit as far back as Henry VIII. Visit Eden describes a permissive footpath up from Beacon Edge through woodland where red squirrels and roe deer live, and on a clear day the view runs across the Eden Valley to the Lakeland hills.
It is a proper uphill walk, not a stroll, and it looks shorter from the bottom than it is. That is the Beacon's whole personality. Bring snacks as bargaining chips for the last bit, and save it for a clear day, because a view of the inside of a cloud is not worth the climb.
- Price
- Free
- Parking
- Not stated by Visit Eden; check before you go
- Buggy access
- No: woodland path uphill
- Toilets
- None on the hill; use the town centre
- Check first
- Paths are muddy after rain; boots rather than trainers
Rheged: the rainy day answer
Rheged
Rheged sits a couple of minutes from junction 40 along the A66 towards Keswick, under a grass roof, so it looks a bit like a hill that has opened a gift shop. Inside there is an independent cinema with a 60 foot screen, a gallery, shops, a 100-seat cafe and a deli, plus indoor play for children up to eight (or 4ft 6in) with a separate area for under fives.
Indoor play is £5 a session for ages one to eight and £2.50 for under ones. In term time it runs on weekdays in two sessions, 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 4pm. At weekends and in the holidays it switches to one-hour slots and Rheged advises booking, which in October half term you will want to do. This autumn the diary includes the Trick or Treat Cartoon Circus on 25 October (£10 each), a pumpkin carving workshop on 29 October, and the Rheged Christmas Fair on 21 November.
- Price
- Free entry; indoor play £5 (ages 1 to 8), £2.50 under 1s; cinema and events priced separately
- Opening
- Cafe 9am to 5pm; shops and gallery 9.30am to 5pm; closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day
- Parking
- Free 250-space car park; register your number plate in the cafe or deli if staying over 5 hours
- Toilets
- Several, including accessible toilets; a Changing Places toilet in the filling station (radar key)
- Buggy access
- Fully wheelchair accessible with two lifts
- Check first
- Book indoor play slots at weekends and in school holidays
Brougham Castle and two henges, a mile or so apart
South of the town, where the A66 meets the A6 at Eamont Bridge, there is a small cluster of history that most people only see through a windscreen. You can do all three of the next places in a morning.
Brougham Castle
A properly climbable ruin on the River Eamont, about a mile and a half south east of Penrith, beside the site of a Roman fort that guarded the river crossing. The highlights are the double gatehouse and the great keep, where spiral stairs take you up to views over the Eden Valley. There is an exhibition on Lady Anne Clifford, who restored the castle in the 17th century, and you can see her Countess Pillar nearby.
Spiral stairs and small children are a combination that requires a parent at the bottom and one at the top, like goalkeepers. English Heritage knocks 15 percent off if you book online by midnight the day before.
- Price
- Charged; English Heritage members free; see the English Heritage site for current prices
- Opening
- Open daily 10am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm) at the time of writing
- Parking
- No parking on site; roadside parking nearby
- Toilets
- Yes, on site
- Buggy access
- Pushchairs allowed, but the keep is spiral stairs
- Check first
- Winter opening days; call 01768 862488
Mayburgh Henge and King Arthur's Round Table
Two prehistoric henges a few hundred metres apart in the village of Eamont Bridge, both free and open at any reasonable time in daylight. Mayburgh is the impressive one: a huge ring bank up to three metres high, built from pebbles carried up from the river, with a single standing stone in the middle. King Arthur's Round Table is a Neolithic earthwork that later legend decided was Arthur's jousting arena. There is no evidence he ever jousted here, but try telling that to a six year old holding a stick.
The Eden Rivers Trust has a walk linking the two. Twenty minutes is enough to see both, and it costs nothing, which in our house is the best kind of history.
- Price
- Free
- Opening
- Any reasonable time in daylight
- Parking
- Car parking in Eamont Bridge, a short walk away
- Toilets
- None; nearest in Penrith
- Buggy access
- Grass inside the henges; fine in dry weather, soggy otherwise
- Check first
- The A6 through Eamont Bridge is busy, so hold hands on the road
Lowther and Dalemain: the big estates
Lowther Castle and Gardens
The castle was demolished in 1957 and left as a dramatic shell, so you get the outline of a fairytale palace with the roof taken off and gardens planted inside and around it. There is an exhibition on the Lowther family, cafe food baked on site, cycle hire and, the bit our children would vote for, The Lost Castle, which Lowther describes as one of the UK's largest adventure playgrounds.
It is open daily all year except Christmas Day. From 14 November to 30 December, on selected dates, Lights of Lowther turns the gardens into an illuminated trail of about an hour, with timed slots from 4pm and pre-booking only. On Lights evenings The Lost Castle shuts at 4pm, so do the playground on a different day or arrive early.
- Price
- Adult £16, child (3 to 15) £10, family £48, under 3s free; Lights of Lowther £20 adult, £15 child, £65 family
- Opening
- Winter 10am to 4pm, summer 10am to 5pm; last entry an hour before closing
- Parking
- £2 a day plus a 50p RingGo fee; free for Lights of Lowther
- Toilets
- In the courtyard and by The Lost Castle
- Buggy access
- Some terrain is not suitable for wheelchairs; ask at Admissions
- Check first
- Lights of Lowther is pre-booked only; dogs welcome on leads
Dalemain Mansion and Historic Gardens
A big pink-fronted house near Pooley Bridge, home of the Hasell family since 1679, with gardens known for roses, blue poppies and heritage apples, and a tearoom in the old courtyard. It is also the home of the World's Original Marmalade Awards, which sounds made up and is not.
The honest winter note: the gardens, tearoom and shop close for winter and reopen on 1 February, and the mansion reopens on 31 March. In December there are Christmas lunches and afternoon teas on set dates from 3 to 16 December (booking with a deposit). Next spring's Marmalade Festival is on Saturday 24 April 2027.
- Price
- Check the Dalemain site for 2027 prices
- Opening
- Gardens, tearoom and shop closed for winter, reopening 1 February; mansion from 31 March
- Parking
- Free on site
- Toilets
- At the courtyard when open
- Check first
- Dogs on leads in the courtyard and tearoom, not in the gardens; the free 4-mile Dalemain Loop walk welcomes dogs on leads
Ullswater Steamers from Pooley Bridge
Pooley Bridge is ten minutes from the M6 at the gentle north end of Ullswater, and the steamers leave from the pier here for Howtown (25 minutes) and Glenridding (about an hour). The Howtown return is the one for small children: long enough to feel like a voyage, short enough that nobody mutinies.
The village car parks are about a five minute walk from the pier, and the village has places to eat and a tourist information shop. Winter sailing times are in the timetable download on the steamers' site.
- Price
- 2026 fares: Pooley Bridge to Howtown return £16.50 adult, £11.50 child, £50.25 family; round the lake £26 adult, £16 child, £76 family; under 5s free; dogs £1.50
- Parking
- Village car parks, about five minutes' walk from the pier
- Toilets
- On board the boats
- Check first
- Winter timetable and wind cancellations; call 01768 482229
The Eden Valley: orchards, stones and a quiet railway
Acorn Bank
A National Trust garden and estate at Temple Sowerby with traditional orchards growing 165 apple varieties, woodland walks along Crowdundle Beck to a partly restored watermill, and a cafe. October is its month. Free apple tasting runs 11am to 3pm on 17, 18, 24 and 25 October 2026 (normal admission applies), with an orchard tour on 18 October and a juicing session on 29 October.
The main season ends on 1 November, and the National Trust says it reopens Thursday to Monday from 16 March, so this is one to do now rather than in December. It also has a Changing Places toilet, which is rarer than it should be.
- Price
- Adult £11, child (5 to 17) £5.50, family £27.50; National Trust members free
- Opening
- Garden 10.30am to 5pm, cafe to 3.30pm, last entry 4pm until 1 November
- Parking
- On site; free for members; the car park gates lock at 5pm
- Toilets
- Adapted toilet and Changing Places in the garden courtyard
- Buggy access
- Paths mainly rough; woodland paths uneven
- Check first
- Dogs in the courtyard and on the estate, not in the gardens
Long Meg and Her Daughters
A huge prehistoric stone circle in a field near Little Salkeld, with Long Meg herself standing outside the ring as a tall single stone. The Eden Rivers Trust counts 69 stones. It is free and open, there is a free car park for twenty or so cars, and there are two verge-side disabled spaces by the information board.
The Eden Rivers Trust's 2.4 mile walk from the car park takes about two hours and passes St Michael's Church, but it has stiles, mud and holes from a large badger sett, so it is one for boots and older legs. With small children, just walk the lane to the circle and invite them to count the stones. Nobody ever gets the same number twice, which is half the legend and all of the fun.
- Price
- Free
- Parking
- Free car park on the lane to the circle; two disabled spaces by the information board
- Toilets
- None
- Buggy access
- The lane to the circle, yes; the full walk, no (stiles and mud)
- Check first
- The field can have livestock; keep dogs on leads
Appleby-in-Westmorland
A small town in a loop of the River Eden, with a wide sloping main street, Boroughgate, running down from the Norman keep of Appleby Castle (a private home that opens seasonally) past the High Cross, Lady Anne's Almshouses and the Moot Hall with its 1596 plaque, to the Low Cross. A riverside walk starts a few minutes from the centre.
Appleby is also a stop on the Settle to Carlisle railway, run by Northern, so you can come by train from Carlisle and let someone else do the A66. On 24 October the Northern Crafts Appleby Makers Market is in the Public Hall (free) and the Appleby Festival of Remembrance is in the Market Hall that evening (£10 adults, under 16s free). The famous Appleby Horse Fair is 3 to 9 June 2027.
- Price
- Free to wander
- Parking
- Town car parks; check signs and charges on the day
- Toilets
- In the town centre
- Buggy access
- Boroughgate is a hill but paved
- Check first
- Settle to Carlisle times on Northern's website
Kirkby Stephen East station
A volunteer-run heritage station that opened in 1861, looked after by the Stainmore Railway Company, with Victorian carriages, industrial locomotives, a small museum and a buffet car that serves light refreshments when trains run. Entry to the site is free and donations are welcome.
The date to know is Sunday 25 October 2026, the Halloween event, with a diesel train service from 10.30am to 4pm, a carriage decorated for the day and the buffet car open. In November it is open Sundays, 10am to 4pm, with no trains, and it closes for maintenance from December until Easter.
- Price
- Site free; train fares £8 adult, £15 family (2 adults and up to 3 children)
- Opening
- Sundays 10am to 4pm until the end of November
- Parking
- Not stated; check before you go
- Toilets
- Ask on the day
- Address
- The East Station, South Road, Kirkby Stephen CA17 4LA
- Check first
- Plans can change at short notice; phone 017683 71700 on Sundays
Smardale Gill viaduct path
A Cumbria Wildlife Trust nature reserve along an old railway line south west of Kirkby Stephen. From the Smardale car park (CA17 4HG) it is a 4.8 km return walk to the Smardale Gill viaduct, along a flat former trackbed with steep wooded slopes either side. The Trust says the surface from the car park is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, with ramps at both ends and benches as far as the limestone quarry.
In summer it is one of only two English sites for the Scotch argus butterfly. In autumn it is just a lovely, level walk to a big viaduct, which is all most children need from a Sunday.
- Price
- Free
- Parking
- Smardale car park (CA17 4HG); roadside only at Newbiggin-on-Lune and Waitby Greenriggs
- Toilets
- None mentioned; nearest in Kirkby Stephen
- Buggy access
- Yes, from the car park on the old railway line
- Check first
- Dogs on leads; it is quiet, so take food and water
Penrith events this autumn and winter
The Winter Droving
Penrith's own street festival takes over the town on Saturday 24 October 2026, its 15th year. Visit Eden lists daytime street performers and musicians, an art market with street food and local produce, a new Young Drovers area for children, Fancy Dress for Dogs, the Drovers' Cup and the Disco Tractor, finishing with a torchlight procession at dusk.
The full programme had not been announced when we checked, so watch the Winter Droving Facebook page. Wrap up: torchlight looks lovely, but it does not do a great deal for frozen fingers.
- Price
- Not listed yet
- Parking
- Town car parks fill early; arrive in good time
- Toilets
- Town centre
- Check first
- Programme and times on the Winter Droving Facebook page
A few more dates from our Almanac. The North Pennines Stargazing Festival runs from 16 October to 1 November around Alston and the North Pennines. Owen's Farm Shop near Kirkby Stephen has Halloween fun and games from 17 to 31 October at £5 per child including a pumpkin. Cumbria Wildlife Trust runs a free Spooky Bug Hunt at Cold Springs Community Nature Reserve in Penrith on Friday 30 October, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, booked by email (bring a torch; no dogs). Penrith Sparkle, the Christmas lights switch-on, is Saturday 21 November, 3pm to 7pm, free, with an illuminated parade, stalls, rides and Santa.
Getting around Penrith and the Eden Valley
Penrith station is on the West Coast Main Line, opposite the castle park, so you can arrive by train and do the town, castle and museum without a car. Buses between Penrith and Keswick stop at Rheged, and Traveline has the times. For Brougham, English Heritage lists Stagecoach 104 and Grand Prix 563 along the A66, with the nearest official stop about a mile away. Appleby has its own station on the Settle to Carlisle line.
For everything else, honestly, you need a car. Lowther, Acorn Bank, Long Meg and Smardale are all down lanes where a bus is a rumour. Fill up on the way, keep coins for the odd honesty box, and assume the sheep have right of way, because they certainly do.
Our picks by type of day
- Wet day with under eights: Rheged indoor play, then the museum in town.
- Dry day with energy to burn: Lowther and The Lost Castle.
- Free day: Penrith Castle, the museum, then the henges at Eamont Bridge.
- Quiet walk with a buggy: the Smardale Gill viaduct path.
- Autumn special: apple tasting at Acorn Bank on an October weekend.
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Questions people ask
What is there to do in Penrith?
In town there is Penrith Castle (free), the free Penrith and Eden Museum and the walk up to Penrith Beacon. Close by are Rheged, Brougham Castle, Lowther Castle and Gardens and the free henges at Eamont Bridge.
What is there to do in Penrith when it rains?
Rheged, two minutes from M6 junction 40, has a cinema, indoor play for under eights (£5 a session), a gallery, shops and a cafe, with free parking. The Penrith and Eden Museum is free and open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
Is Penrith Castle free?
Yes. Penrith Castle is free and open in line with Castle Park, 7.30am to 4.30pm from October to 30 March and 7.30am to 9pm in summer.
How much is Lowther Castle?
Castle and gardens entry is £16 for adults, £10 for children aged 3 to 15 and £48 for a family, with under 3s free. Parking is £2 a day plus a 50p RingGo fee.
Is Lowther Castle open in winter?
Yes. Lowther is open daily all year except Christmas Day, 10am to 4pm in winter. Lights of Lowther runs on selected dates from 14 November to 30 December 2026.
Is Dalemain open in winter?
No. Dalemain's gardens, tearoom and shop close for winter and reopen on 1 February, and the mansion reopens on 31 March. Christmas lunches and afternoon teas run on set dates in December.
When is the Winter Droving in Penrith?
The Winter Droving is on Saturday 24 October 2026, with street performers, an art market and a torchlight procession at dusk. The full programme is announced on its Facebook page.
Where is Long Meg and Her Daughters?
Long Meg and Her Daughters is a stone circle near Little Salkeld, north east of Penrith. It is free, with a free car park on the lane leading to it.
Sources and further reading
Facts checked against these pages on Monday 12 October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so confirm with the venue.
- English Heritage: Penrith Castle
- English Heritage: Brougham Castle
- English Heritage: Mayburgh Henge
- English Heritage: King Arthur's Round Table
- Art Fund: Penrith and Eden Museum visitor information
- Visit Eden: Penrith Beacon
- Rheged: visitor information
- Rheged: indoor play
- Lowther Castle: visiting
- Lights of Lowther
- Dalemain
- Historic Houses: Dalemain
- Ullswater Steamers: timetable and fares
- National Trust: Acorn Bank
- Eden Rivers Trust: Long Meg and Her Daughters walk
- Visit Appleby
- Kirkby Stephen East: events
- Cumbria Wildlife Trust: Smardale Gill
- Visit Eden: The Winter Droving 2026
- Discover Penrith: Penrith Sparkle
- Visit Eden: Penrith Farmers' Market
- Cumbria Wildlife Trust: Spooky Bug Hunt at Cold Springs
