Lake District Visitors Center

We found this place purely by accident; as it is signposted as the Lake District Visitors Centre, we expected a lot of information on the wider area. It is a series of adventure areas going from the play equipment, swings etc for toddlers right up to the sixty feet up in the trees rope-​work which requires full harness and safety line.
The childrens’ areas are free and the car park is very reasonable as well as having the best organised payment methods I have ever seen. It used number plate recognition on entry to the park. When you are leaving, you enter your licence number and the machime tells you how long you have been there and what it costs. Payment is possible by cash or all the usual credit and debit cards — and there is even an option of leaving it until you get home and paying online, as long as it is within 48 hours!
We didn’t go as far as finding out the costs for the rope-​work course as our children are 5 months and 22 months, but we did see the prices for the huge netting up above the playground area. Children between 3 years and, I think, 8 were £12.50 and the same charge for any adult accompanying them. This would make it very expensive for a family group, but it was pretty full, so it must be worth it.
I am pretty sure we will be back when the «littlies» are old enough to enjoy it properly.

There is a pay and display car-​park, but apart from that the visitors center is free. It is actually at Brockhole, and is often refered to as that. The adventure playground is absolutly brilliant, and is frequently updated, so children can go more than once and not get bored. The gardens overlook Lake Windermere, and Brockhole is even a stop on the round the lake cruises. As soon as we got off we had a paddle. I havn’t been round the house for fear of boring my young companions, but the café did well out of us. The prices were high in my opinion, but my sister from the South-​East didn’t bat an eyelid. I suppose they have a captive population. Generally this is a good day out, and doesn’t cost the earth. In the school holidays it is packed!