Brockhole on Windermere — Attraction in Great Britain

Visited first week in Sept 2024. Car park is on a hill and we parked at the bottom end as I have walking difficulties - found the booking office at bottom of car park closed. The only place to book was at the top of the hill - I suppose you can park at the top, book, then drive down to bottom and park. If you want to do an activity we found out after we arrived that you can book them in advance, and all the morning archery sessions were already booked up. While we waited for the activity we walked around the edge of Windermere Lake which was nice and it opens out to a nice viewing area, were the canoes etc are launched from. There are picnic tables here and a small cafe hut. We were disappointed to find the cafe closed as it would have been nice to have a cup of tea while looking out over the lake. We decided to look at the gardens, most of them have steps to access the terraces, so be aware it's not really accessible for disabled. I managed to get up the steep incline to the cafe at the top of hill were main visitor centre is, but it might be too steep for some . Wasn't much food choice, a small selection of sandwiches or pizza. The archery session was very good, was well led and we really enjoyed it. I can understand the bottom booking office and the cafe near the view point being closed in winter as they have less visitors, but this was the first week in September, the last few weeks of summer and we were disappointed that it felt half shut down. If I was to come again I would suggest booking an activity in advance and just turn up at the designated time for that and go elsewhere for...

Another great day out at Brockhole...today we did not pre-book any of the activities available but it is a must to do to avoid disappointment over busy periods. We spent the first hour in the kids play area...not too busy with plenty of rest areas for adults to watch over their little ones and not forgetting the Covid 19 safety measures with a sanitizer station on entrance and exit. Plenty of exciting climbing equipment for your children with spectacular tube slides bringing them back down to the wood bark safety surface...we have been coming here for years and my daughter now nearly 10 still loves this particular adventure play area. There is no eating or drinking allowed in the play area but there are plenty of seating situated around the outdoor cafe and barbecue. After a short stop for drinks and ice cream it was off down to the lake for a walk, you can stick to the well maintained paths or wander through the lake edge forest stopping at the little coves for amazing views across Lake Windermere. We stopped at the main beach next to the water activity centre and mini golf where we made a fairy garden and house out of stones and feathers. After a quick paddle in the lake we made our way around the beautiful gardens exploring all the little paths and hidden corners. As you get closer to the house again take advantage of the amazing views through the gardens and across the lake. Finally we made our way back to the car park...dont forget it's a pay and display car park so allow yourself plenty of time to explore this amazing...

A beautiful visitor centre and garden that I was not even aware existed until recently! Admission is free. Lake steamers stop here, so you can arrive by boat and stay here all day. If you arrive by car, there's a pay and display car park (£8.50 for an all-day visit). I came here with a small coach party to do the Heritage Garden Tour, which lasted about an hour. Our guide Kevin was both friendly and knowledgeable, and he shared some interesting facts about the house, garden, and family who once lived here. Some magnificent trees and flowering shrubs, including a magnolia in full bloom that was planted around 1900. Gorgeous views down to the lake. Be aware that this is a terraced garden, and there are steps that can be a bit slippy after rain. After our tour, we enjoyed a cream tea in a cosy café with lake views. The scone, with jam and cream, was huge and very fresh. There are clean toilets next to the café, a gallery with dioramas of Cumbrian wildlife and habitats, and a beautiful gift shop. This is a fantastic place for families and children. There's a treetop walk and zip wire near the entrance, an adventure playground, and little tractors for small children to ride on. There's also a good variety of outdoor activities, including archery, mini golf, laser clay shooting, and bikes and kayaks for hire. Dogs are welcome both in the grounds and the café. I enjoyed my visit, but it was all too brief! Would love to return in the summer to explore the woodland and...