Mirehouse and Gardens, near Bassenthwaite are a fantastic place in the Lake District for a family walk and adventure!  We did a 1.5 mile loop walk (map in the photos) that also takes in the 4 adventure play areas in Mirehouse Gardens.

We parked in the pay and display car park on the A591 at GR 235281 on OS map OL4. £1.80 for 1.5 hours, £2.80 for 2 hours, £4.90 for 4 hours and £6.30 all day.

Tickets for the gardens only cost £4/adult and £2/child over 5.  Children under 5 go free.  These can be purchased from the tea room in the car park.  Tickets can also be purchased to go inside the house, but we just did the grounds.

Take care crossing the road and follow the entrance driveway into Mirehouse estate.  Two adventure playgrounds peel off to the right (Steeplechase and the Fort) and two to the left (Squirrel Island and Forest Hazard Course).

These playgrounds are loads of fun, with obstacles to go over and under in Steeplechase… check out the video:

A race to the Fort via two different routes, swings and climbing things on Squirrel Island, and for older children a more difficult obstacle course in the forest, see video below:

Once we’d exhausted ourselves in the playgrounds, we followed the well signed path down to the lake shore and had a picnic by the water.  Then we looped back to the house and gardens, before stopping for a cup of tea, cake and ice cream for the children in the tea room at the car park.

All in all it was a totally brilliant family adventure day.  The kids enjoyed every second of it, and begged to go back!  At age 3 and 5, their favourite part was the Steeplechase and they did it 12 times in total!  More info on Mirehouse here.

If you fancy another family walk in the area, Sale Fell is an easy 2 mile circular walk, offering great views over Bassenthwaite and the surrounding fells.  If you look closely from Mirehouse, you can see it on the other side of the lake.

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