# Fell & Family

> Days out in Cumbria from a family who lives here: honest guides, a weekly-updated calendar of events called The Cumbrian Almanac, and two free emails a week. Written by Dan Fitzpatrick with his wife Julia; they live in Stanwix, Carlisle, with their two children, six and seven. Every venue and event is checked against the organiser's own page and linked. Covers Cumbria and the Lake District, England.

## Key pages
- [The Cumbrian Almanac](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/almanac.html): weekly-updated calendar of family and grown-up events across Cumbria, seasonal knowledge, map view and calendar subscription (ICS: https://fellandfamily.co.uk/calendar.ics)
- [All guides](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides.html): evergreen guides to eating, walking and days out in Cumbria
- [Birding in Cumbria](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding.html): the birdwatching section: month by month calendar, spectacles, kids, kit, tides and FAQ (markdown of the whole section: https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding.md)
- [Where to go birding](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/sites.html): 38 sites on a map with filters and a nearest-to-me sort
- [The birds of Cumbria](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/birds.html): 61 species with odds, months and a personal tick list
- [Ospreys in the Lake District](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/ospreys.html): where they are now, dates and live cams
- [Newsletter archive](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/archive.html): weekend edition (families, Fridays) and weekday edition (grown-ups, Sundays)
- [About](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/about.html)
- [How we make it, sources and AI use](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/how-we-make-it.html)

## Guides
- [Wild Swimming in the Lake District With Kids: A Cautious Start](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/wild-swimming-in-cumbria-with-kids.html): Start in the shallows at a designated bathing water such as Fell Foot on Windermere, stay within arm's reach, keep it short, and wear a bright hat and a properly fitted buoyancy aid. The RNLI and Outdoor Swimming Society say to enter slowly to avoid cold water shock, and never swim alone or after heavy rain.
- [What to Eat in Cumbria: Traditional Food and Where It Came From](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/what-to-eat-in-cumbria.html): If you only try a handful of things in Cumbria, make it Cumberland sausage (a protected coil of chunky, peppery pork), Grasmere Gingerbread, Kendal Mint Cake, Morecambe Bay potted shrimps and a sticky toffee pudding from Cartmel. Add Herdwick lamb, rum butter and a proper damson anything if you are here at the right time of year.
- [10 Places to Eat With Kids in Cumbria (Honest Notes)](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/top-10-places-to-eat-with-kids-in-cumbria.html): For places to eat with kids in Cumbria, the safest bets are Low Sizergh Barn near Kendal (milking parlour window, free farm trail), Cafe Tullie in Carlisle (a four pound kids' box and free museum entry for under 18s), and the Sun Inn at Pooley Bridge on Ullswater (play area, kids' menu, dogs welcome). Rheged near Penrith and the Twa Dogs in Keswick are the easy rainy-day options.
- [Things to Do in Windermere and Ambleside (and How to Park)](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/things-to-do-in-windermere-and-ambleside.html): The best things to do in Windermere and Ambleside are a Windermere Lake Cruises trip from Bowness or Ambleside, the short walk to Stock Ghyll Force waterfall, the Windermere Jetty Museum and family adventures at Brockhole. Park at Lakeside or use the boats to dodge Bowness and Ambleside traffic, and go on a weekday if you can.
- [Things to Do in Keswick With Kids: A Day Plan and a Rain Plan](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/things-to-do-in-keswick-with-kids.html): The best things to do in Keswick with kids are a Keswick Launch trip on Derwentwater (children 5 to 15 are £9 return), the Derwent Pencil Museum and crazy golf at Hope Park. Castlerigg Stone Circle is free, and the Puzzling Place and Keswick Museum are your wet-day backups. Keswick is compact enough to do most of this on foot from one car park.
- [Things to Do in Kendal and Around, Cumbria: 2026 Guide](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/things-to-do-in-kendal-and-around.html): The best things to do in Kendal are the castle ruin above the town, Abbot Hall art gallery, the yards and ginnels, the Wednesday and Saturday market and Kendal Mint Cake from the two makers still baking it in town. Around it, go for Sizergh Castle with Low Sizergh Barn, Levens Hall's topiary and Kirkby Lonsdale's Devil's Bridge. Kendal has no lake (Windermere is about eight miles away), so treat it as a base for castles, gardens and the Kent estuary.
- [Things to Do in Carlisle With Kids: A Local Dad's Guide](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/things-to-do-in-carlisle-with-kids.html): The best things to do in Carlisle with kids are Carlisle Castle (open daily 10am to 5pm, with a children's trail), Tullie museum (free for under 18s, though the Border Galleries are shut until summer 2027), and Bitts Park, which has a play area and a seasonal splash park. Carlisle Cathedral is free to enter, and Carlisle Market Hall is a dry place for lunch.
- [Steam Trains, Boats and Ferries in Cumbria: What They Cost](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/steam-trains-boats-and-ferries-in-cumbria.html): The best steam trains, boats and ferries in Cumbria for families are the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (about 40 minutes each way), the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway (18 minutes) with Windermere Lake Cruises, Ullswater Steamers, the Keswick Launch and the Coniston Steam Yacht Gondola. The cheapest is the Windermere ferry at £1.50 for a pedestrian.
- [Silloth and the Solway Coast: Things to Do Away From the Crowds](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/solway-coast-and-silloth-days-out.html): The best Solway coast things to do are Silloth Green with its splash park and cobbled streets, a paddle at Allonby beach and an ice cream from Twentymans, RSPB Campfield Marsh (open 24 hours, with an 800 m flat track) and the western end of Hadrian's Wall at Bowness-on-Solway. None of the beaches has a lifeguard and the tide goes out a very long way, so check the tide table first. Maryport, 26 miles south-west of Carlisle, adds the Senhouse Roman Museum and the Lake District Coast Aquarium for a wet day.
- [Santa Train Lake District 2026: Prices, Dates and Which to Book](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/santa-trains-and-father-christmas-in-cumbria-2026.html): Cumbria's Santa trains for 2026 are the Tinsel Trains at Lakeside and Haverthwaite (5 to 20 December, £125 per compartment of up to four), the Ravenglass and Eskdale Santa Express (21 November to 24 December, price not yet published) and Threlkeld Quarry's Santa Specials (£40 for four), plus Alston's South Tynedale Railway, which I couldn't confirm on the railway's own site. The only Santa cruise is at Ambleside on Saturday 21 November, with tickets from 10am on 1 October. Book Honister's grotto, Holker and Tinsel Trains first, because their own pages say they sell out or fill fast.
- [Rainy Day Things to Do in the Lake District With Kids](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/rainy-day-things-to-do-in-the-lake-district-with-kids.html): The best rainy day activities in the Lake District for kids are the Lakes Aquarium at Lakeside, the Lakeland Motor Museum at Backbarrow, the World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness, the Pencil Museum in Keswick and Rheged near Penrith. In Carlisle, Tullie is free for under 18s. Book Rheged's indoor play and go early to everything else.
- [Pushchair Friendly Walks in the Lake District: 9 Routes](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/pushchair-friendly-walks-in-the-lake-district.html): The most reliable pushchair friendly walks in the Lake District are the Keswick Railway Path (tarmac, 5.6 km one way), White Moss Common near Grasmere (1.1 km, graded 'for all'), the Derwent Water and Cockshot Wood loop at Keswick (about 1 mile), the Holeslack trail at Sizergh and the lakeshore at Fell Foot. Tarn Hows is fine for most buggies but has some steeper bits.
- [October Half Term in Cumbria: Ideas That Survive the Weather](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/october-half-term-in-cumbria.html): For October half term in the Lake District, the best bets are the red deer rut in Martindale (early mornings), a pumpkin patch such as Walby Farm Park near Carlisle, the Halloween festival at Muncaster Castle, autumn colour at Tarn Hows or Borrowdale, and Whinlatter Forest for a wet-weather trail. Book the big attractions ahead, because half term sells out.
- [Lake District New Year 2026/27: Eve, Day, Walks and What's Open](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/new-years-eve-and-new-years-day-in-cumbria.html): There were no public New Year's Eve fireworks announced anywhere in Cumbria when I checked on 29 September 2026; the displays I could confirm belong to hotels, such as Armathwaite Hall on Bassenthwaite Lake. The best public event is the Lake District Calvert Trust's fancy dress dip in Derwentwater at Keswick on Friday 1 January 2027, 11am to 1pm, and the best family day is a short walk with a cafe at the end (Cockshot Wood, Aira Force or Elterwater to Skelwith Bridge), finished before the 3.56pm sunset. Lights of Lowther (to 30 December) and the Ravenglass Winter Warmer Trains (28 December to 3 January) fill the days either side.
- [Best Market Towns in Cumbria Worth a Day Out, With Market Days](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/market-towns-in-cumbria-worth-a-day.html): The best market towns in Cumbria for a day out are Kendal (Wednesday and Saturday markets), Penrith (Tuesday), Keswick (Thursday and Saturday), Ulverston (Thursday and Saturday, plus an indoor hall), Appleby (Saturday), Kirkby Lonsdale (Thursday) and Cockermouth. Go on the market day, park early and check the times, because several have changed recently.
- [Lake District With Toddlers and Babies: What Actually Works](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/lake-district-with-toddlers-and-babies.html): Yes, the Lake District is good for toddlers if you stick to flat, short and near a loo: Fell Foot, Tarn Hows and the Sizergh Holeslack trail for pushchairs, the Lakeside steam train, Keswick Launch and Windermere cruises for boats, and Walby, Lakeland Maze and the Wildlife Park for animals. When it rains, use Rheged, Brockhole's Minty Land or the Lakes Aquarium, where under 3s are free. Skip Cat Bells with a toddler, and any mountain pass in a storm.
- [Lake District Waterfalls You Can Reach on an Easy Walk](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/lake-district-waterfalls-short-walks.html): The easiest are Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside (about 0.9 miles from the Tourist Information Centre), Skelwith Force (a few hundred metres from parking) and Galleny Force in Borrowdale (0.8 miles each way, flat gravel path). Aira Force is the famous one, but parking fills by about 10am on busy days and the paths near the falls are steep with steps.
- [Lake District Parking 2026: What It Costs and Where to Park](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/lake-district-parking-guide.html): Lake District parking costs about £10 to £12 for a full day at the busy places: £10.60 in Ambleside, Bowness and Grasmere, £11.40 for up to 12 hours in Keswick and £10 at National Trust sites like Tarn Hows and Aira Force, where members park free. The car parks have different owners, so the app changes with the place (MiPermit in Keswick, PayByPhone in Windermere, JustPark at the National Trust, RingGo for the National Park) and some machines still want coins. Be parked before 10am in school holidays, or take the 555, the 599, the Windermere ferry or a Park and Sail ticket.
- [Lake District in Winter With Kids 2026/27: An Honest Guide](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/lake-district-in-winter-with-kids.html): The Lake District in winter with kids is worth it if you plan around about seven hours of daylight in December (Keswick sunset is 3.45pm at the earliest) and expect rain and wind more than snow. Walk Tarn Hows, Buttermere, the Derwentwater shore, Whinlatter or Grizedale in the morning, then use Lakes Aquarium, Rheged or Tullie when it pours, and book Lights of Lowther, Winter at Sizergh and Tinsel Trains early.
- [Lake District in October and November 2026: An Honest Guide](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/lake-district-in-autumn-october-and-november.html): The Lake District in October is worth the rain: Keswick sunset falls from 6.48pm on 1 October to 4.51pm once the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, the autumn colour usually peaks somewhere between mid October and early November (it varies every year), and the red deer rut is on at Martindale by Ullswater. Keswick averages about 17 rain days in October and 18 in November, so plan a dry-morning walk and a wet-afternoon fallback. November is quieter, with Kendal Mountain Festival on 19 to 22 November and the Cumbria Dark Skies Festival running to 20 November.
- [Pumpkin Picking and Halloween in Cumbria 2026: Dates and Prices](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/halloween-and-pumpkin-picking-in-cumbria-2026.html): For pumpkin picking in Cumbria in 2026, Walby Farm Park near Carlisle is open daily 3 to 31 October and Lakeland Maze near Kendal opens weekends, then daily 24 to 31 October. For Halloween, Muncaster Castle's Halloween Family Festival (24 October to 1 November, £24.50 adults, £16.95 children) is the big one, with the Room on the Broom trail at Whinlatter and the Museum of the Moon in Carlisle Cathedral as cheaper options. Half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and Carlisle Fireshow is free at 6.30pm on Halloween, Saturday 31 October.
- [Hadrian's Wall With Kids in Cumbria: Where to Go and What's Free](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/hadrians-wall-with-kids-in-cumbria.html): For Hadrian's Wall with kids in Cumbria, start at Birdoswald Roman Fort (kids' spy trail, model wall and a Roman arch to build), stop at the free Banks East Turret, then do Carlisle Castle and Tullie in the city and Bowness-on-Solway at the western end. Senhouse Roman Museum in Maryport is the cheap coastal bonus, and children under 18 get into Tullie free.
- [Gentle Days Out in Cumbria for Over 60s: Step-Free, Seated, Short](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/gentle-days-out-in-cumbria-for-over-60s.html): For gentle days out in the Lake District for older people, the easiest are a lake cruise with step-free boarding (Windermere, Ullswater or Derwentwater), the flat gravel circuit at Tarn Hows, and the gardens at Sizergh, Levens Hall or Holker with a cafe on site. The Stagecoach 555 and English concessionary passes make it possible without a car.
- [Free Things to Do in the Lake District (and the Car Park Catch)](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/free-things-to-do-in-the-lake-district.html): Friar's Crag in Keswick, Castlerigg Stone Circle, Ambleside Roman Fort and Hardknott Roman Fort are all free to enter, and so is walking round Tarn Hows, Aira Force and Buttermere. What isn't free is parking: National Trust car parks charge non-members 7 pounds for two hours and 10 for the day at Tarn Hows and Aira Force, at the time of writing.
- [Easy Lake District Walks for Kids: 10 That Actually Work](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/easy-lake-district-walks-for-kids.html): For easy Lake District walks for kids, start with White Moss Common (1.1 km, about 30 minutes), Tarn Hows (3.3 km loop, 1 to 1.5 hours) or Loughrigg Tarn (2.75 km, about an hour). Aira Force waterfall is 20 to 30 minutes from the car park, and Orrest Head at Windermere is a short, steep hour with a big view at the top.
- [Dog Friendly Lake District: Walks, Beaches, Boats and Cafes](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/dog-friendly-lake-district-walks-beaches-and-cafes.html): Yes, the Lake District is properly dog friendly. Windermere Lake Cruises, Keswick Launch and the Lakeside steam train carry dogs free, Fell Foot, Aira Force and Wray Castle welcome them on leads (indoors at the cafes too), and St Bees, Silloth and Seascale beaches allow dogs. Keep a short lead for sheep, and from 1 March to 31 July dogs must be on a lead on open access land whether or not there's livestock in sight.
- [Days Out Near Carlisle, Cumbria: 20, 40 and 60 Minutes Away](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/days-out-near-carlisle.html): The best days out near Carlisle are Talkin Tarn and Walby Farm Park (about 20 minutes), Birdoswald and Lanercost for Hadrian's Wall (about 40) and the Solway coast at Silloth and Campfield Marsh. For a longer day, Rheged and Lowther Castle near Penrith, the Lake District Wildlife Park and Cockermouth are 40 to 60 minutes away. Several have free entry, though parking may not be.
- [Christmas Markets in Cumbria 2026: Dates, Lights and Parking](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/christmas-markets-and-lights-in-cumbria-2026.html): The Christmas events in Cumbria in 2026 worth planning around are the Ulverston Dickensian Festival (Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November), Taste Cumbria Christmas in Cockermouth (5 and 6 December) and the Keswick Victorian Fayre (Sunday 6 December), plus town lights switch-ons from Carlisle on 15 November to Kendal on 27 November. For an evening with children, book Lights of Lowther or Winter at Sizergh, both timed-ticket light trails. Times for most switch-ons hadn't been published on 29 September, so check the organiser links.
- [Bonfire Night in Cumbria 2026: Fireworks, Dates and Prices](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/bonfire-night-and-fireworks-in-cumbria-2026.html): The biggest is the free Carlisle Fireshow at Bitts Park on Saturday 31 October, from 6.30pm. After that come Cockermouth on Sunday 1 November, then Walby Farm Park (£11.95) and Low Wood Bay at Windermere (from £12.50) on Thursday 5 November, and Windermere Rugby Club on Saturday 7 November. Kendal, Keswick, Penrith and Ulverston had not published 2026 dates when I checked on 29 September.
- [10 Dog Friendly Pubs in the Lake District, Checked](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/best-dog-friendly-pubs-in-the-lake-district.html): The Wasdale Head Inn, Old Dungeon Ghyll, the Woolpack in Eskdale, the Sun Inn at Pooley Bridge and the Dog & Gun in Keswick are the easy ones, with dogs welcome in the bar or, at the Sun, the whole pub. Nearly every Lakeland pub keeps dogs out of the dining room, so ring ahead if you want to eat at a table rather than at the bar.
- [The Best Beaches in Cumbria, and How to Use Them Safely](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/best-beaches-in-cumbria.html): The best Cumbrian beaches are Silloth and Allonby on the Solway, St Bees, Seascale and Haverigg on the west coast, and Walney Island near Barrow. Most have no lifeguard, so check tide times and stay out of the sea beyond a paddle, and never walk onto the sands of Morecambe Bay without an official guide.

## Areas
- [Carlisle and the north](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/carlisle-north.html): Carlisle, the border city, and the country north of the Lakes: the castle, the cathedral, Hadrian's Wall and the Solway coast.
- [Eden and Penrith](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/eden-penrith.html): Penrith and the Eden Valley, between the Lakes and the North Pennines: market towns, the eastern end of Ullswater, castles and quiet lanes.
- [Keswick and the northern Lakes](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/keswick-north-lakes.html): Keswick, Derwentwater, Borrowdale, Buttermere and the northern fells.
- [South Lakes](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/south-lakes.html): Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, Coniston and Hawkshead: the busiest and best-known part of the Lake District.
- [Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/kendal.html): Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale and the country around them, including Sizergh, Levens and the Lune valley.
- [Furness and Cartmel](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/furness-cartmel.html): The Furness peninsula and Cartmel: Ulverston, Barrow, Grange-over-Sands, Cartmel and Morecambe Bay.
- [West coast](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/places/west-coast.html): The Cumbrian coast from Whitehaven and St Bees down to Ravenglass, Seascale and Millom, with Wasdale and Eskdale close behind.

## Latest newsletters
- [Blowy on the tops. Stay low today.](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/issues/2026-09-29.html) (Tuesday 29 September 2026, launch issue)
- [It's a good week for talks and the cinema, and you can do the walk between showers.](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/issues/2026-09-27.html) (Sunday 27 September 2026, weekday edition)
- [Cockermouth food festival and a Gruffalo weekend. Buttermere for a proper walk.](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/issues/2026-09-25.html) (Friday 25 September 2026, weekend edition)
- [The nights are drawing in and the woods are starting to turn. Good week for boardwalks and museums.](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/issues/2026-09-20.html) (Sunday 20 September 2026, weekday edition)
- [Crab Fair Saturday, apples on Sunday. A short tarn walk if you want to keep it gentle.](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/issues/2026-09-18.html) (Friday 18 September 2026, weekend edition)
- [Heritage Open Days are on all week, so this is the one to plan indoors and out. Keep the walk for a dry day.](https://fellandfamily.co.uk/issues/2026-09-13.html) (Sunday 13 September 2026, weekday edition)