Penrith Travel

Start the morning at Castle Park opposite Penrith railway station — Penrith Castle ruins stand right in the centre of the park, facing the station platform, and you can glimpse this red sandstone fortress when travelling on the West Coast Main Line. The castle was begun in the late 14th century by Ralph Neville as a defence against Scottish raids, then expanded into a luxurious residence by the future Richard III — he stayed twice, in 1471 and 1485, widening windows and adding the north gatehouse. The walls still retain their full height, the dry moat is 15 metres wide and 6 metres deep, and the remains of the Red Tower are still impressive. The War Memorial Gateway at the park entrance commemorates those who fell in the Boer War and both World Wars. Then drive 10 minutes (or take the UB3 bus) to Lowther Castle — this post-medieval castle was the lavish home of the Lowther family, abandoned in 1936 after the "Yellow Earl" squandered the family fortune, with concrete traces left by tank regiments stationed there during WWII. A 20-year garden restoration programme began in 2008, with Dan Pearson designing the Parterre flower beds, the Rose Garden (shaped like an ancient English rose) and the Garden-in-the-Ruins. The 130-acre gardens also include wildflower meadows, tree-nest beehives and the Western Terrace — standing here you can overlook the entire Lowther Valley and the distant Lake District fells. In the evening, head to Aira Force Waterfall on Ullswater Lake — this 20-metre cascade is most spectacular after rain, with rainbows often appearing in the spray. Follow the National Trust-maintained trails through conifer and mixed broadleaf woodland, keeping an eye out for red squirrels darting around feeding stations — they are Britain's favourite wild mammal, surviving only in a few protected areas.

Drive 10 minutes in the early morning to Brougham Castle — this red sandstone castle was begun in the early 13th century by King John's agent Robert de Vieuxpont on the site of a Roman fort, commanding the strategic crossing of the River Eamont. The most striking feature is the massive Norman keep — climb the spiral staircase to the top for a 360-degree view of the Eden Valley. The Clifford family added the unique double gatehouse and League Tower. The castle's most legendary figure is Lady Anne Clifford — dispossessed of her inheritance in 1617, she fought for decades, eventually reclaiming five castles and restoring them one by one, living here from 1660 until her death in 1676, with a plaque marking the room where she died. Nearby stands the Countess Pillar, erected by her in 1656 to commemorate her final farewell to her mother Margaret on 2 April 1616 — coins are still distributed to the poor on 2 April each year according to her will. In the afternoon, take the Ullswater Steamer from Pooley Bridge (£18.50 day ticket) to cruise England's third most beautiful lake — this Victorian steamer fleet, first launched in 1859, still operates today, calling at Howtown and Glenridding, with views of the Helvellyn crags and lakeside daffodil fields (the inspiration for Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"). Disembark to explore Hutton-in-the-Forest — said to be the original setting of the Green Knight's castle from the Arthurian legend Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the oldest part being the Pele Tower built in 1350, with interiors designed by William Morris himself, and a 128-foot Wellingtonia giant sequoia in the gardens. In the evening, climb Penrith Beacon — the stone-built beacon at the top of Beacon Hill (286 metres) has been lit many times since 1296 to warn of Scottish invasion, most recently during the Napoleonic Wars in 1804.