Penrith Area Guide

Penrith is a beautiful, historic market town with easy access to the Lake District, Eden Valley and the Pennines. With some of the most stunning natural scenery at your doorstep, Penrith really is a springboard to enjoy a fantastic way of life. Just 6 miles to the west is the gorgeous lake of Ullswater, with a huge range of activities available from walking to water sports and in the town itself you can enjoy a wide range of cafes and restaurants as you meander down the cobbled streets, with the lively pubs and plethora of concerts and events sure to keep the whole family entertained Penrith really does offer an ideal way of life for everyone.

Lowther Castle and Gardens

Lowther Castle sits on a raised position overlooking Penrith from the South. The imposing and dramatic gothic building can't fail to intrigue how this once magnificent castle came to be a ruin. Find out about the Castles tragic history in the exhibition.

The Castle and grounds are currently undergoing a 20-year programme of regeneration to transform the gardens under the guidance of Chelsea Gold winner and international Garden Designer Dan Pearson, this will include Rose gardens, formal and wild meadow spaces.

For the younger members of the family, a fabulous adventure playground is hidden within one of the woods. The playground is a mini version of the castle and features swings, slides, sandpits and a maze of turrets and zip wires.

Larch Cottage Nurseries

Tucked away in the hamlet of Melkinthorpe near Penrith is the award-winning Larch Cottage Nursery and Gardens. The combination of the huge selection of plants and shrubs and eclectic garden design and buildings creates a sensory overload.

Areas include a Japanese dry garden, monastic herb garden, medieval courtyard, and gothic plant house. These are set off by large herbaceous borders, creating a unique atmosphere.

Enjoy afternoon tea or lunch on the veranda overlooking the gardens, in the summer months you could be in the Mediterranean.

The Red Barn gift shop and gallery offers an array of different styles of art, jewellery, bags and home gifts.

Commuting

Penrith is perfectly located, with the beauty and activities of the Lake District on the doorstep, and some of the North of England's biggest cities accessible too.

• Penrith train station: Manchester (1 hour 30), London (3 hours 15), Edinburgh (1 hour 40), Glasgow (1 hour 30).
• Road: Newcastle (A69) , Manchester (M6 South), Glasgow (M6 North), Edinburgh (1 hour 20)

Schools and University

For its size, Penrith has a great variety of excellent educational settings to choose from. Within the town and in the surrounding rural villages there are a number of excellent nurseries and primary schools.

Penrith has not one but two secondary schools, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and Ullswater Community College. Both the Grammar School and College offer a wide variety of subjects and extracurricular activities and have good reputations.

Penrith also has a small independent school, Hunter Hall, which sits on the outskirts of Penrith and takes children from 3 to 11 years old.