Penrith’s location – at an important intersection of routes between Scotland and England, and on the main route across the Pennines – is key to its historical status as a major market town.
Even today, its distinctive red sandstone buildings are full of specialist shops, artisan studios and atmospheric old pubs.
Start the day with a visit to Hutton-in-the-Forest, the family home of Lord and Lady Inglewood, a beautiful house on the northeastern edge of the Lake District. Hutton is a hidden gem in a woodland setting which will take your guests back to a quieter, gentle period. This historic home is a glorious mixture of over 400 years of changing architectural and decorative styles.
The gardens are stunning, with Topiary Terraces offering a formal backdrop to the romantic building and contemporary wrought iron gates leading to the Walled Garden with herbaceous plants, heritage roses and trained fruit trees.
Venue Details:
Opening Hours: Open April to October any day except Saturday.
Entrance Fees: Group rates available. Please pre-book.
Parking for Coaches: Free parking available. Free refreshments for drivers.
Contact: Tel: 017684 84449 or Email: admin@hutton-in-the-forest.co.uk
Website: hutton-in-the-forest.co.uk
Facilities: Toilets and Café on site. Group menu available.
Road links: 5 minutes from Junction 41, M6. SATNAV: CA11 9TH
Conveniently located on the A66 near Penrith, Rheged is a unique shopping venue and creative space. Your guests can enjoy browsing the art gallery, visiting the café and shopping for unique locally produced gifts.
Venue Details:
Opening Hours: Open all year 10am to 5.30pm.
Entrance Fees: Free. Please pre-book.
Parking for Coaches: Free parking available but prebooking required. Fuel station on site.
Contact: Tel: 01768 868000
Website: rheged.com
Facilities: Toilets and Café on site. Group menu available.
Road links: 5 minutes from Junction 40 of M6 westbound on the A66. SATNAV: CA11 0DQ
The historic market town of Penrith is the perfect place to spend a free afternoon. The Penrith and Eden Museum, which is adjacent to the Tourist Information Centre is free to enter and offers the opportunity to discover more about the history and geology of the region.
Less than five minutes’ walk from the museum, located near the Town Hall, is EVAN Gallery (Eden Valley Artistic Network), which, like the museum, is free to enter. Unassuming from the exterior, EVAN Gallery is in fact home to a large number of local artists and artisans creating works from across the spectrum including: painting, photography, jewellery, ceramics, glass, performing arts, textiles, sculpture, mixed media and printmaking.
Town Centre Details:
Coach Parking: Sandgate Car Park has 6 coach parking places and is open 7 days a week and is 0.2 mile from the town centre. Pay and display charges apply. Sandgate Pay By Phone code is: 805798.
SATNAV: CA11 7XA.
Just a few miles south of Penrith lie the impressive ruins of Lowther Castle & Gardens. The Castle itself was first constructed in the early 19th century. For 130 years or so, the castle was a beacon of grandeur in the northwest – a place where the great and the good came to enjoy a remarkable art collection and fabled setting. But after two wars and a prolonged period of underinvestment, the castle’s fortunes turned. In 1957, its roof was removed, but today thanks to a great deal of hard work and investment, the majestic castle ruins stand proud, while the gardens themselves have extensively been brought back to life.
Venue Details:
Opening Times: Open all year except Christmas Day. Summer Hours: 10.00am-5.00pm (Last entry 4.00pm). Winter Hours: 10.00am-4.00pm (Last entry 3.00pm).
Entrance Fees: Group rates for groups of 10+.
Parking for Coaches: Free parking in a designated area close to the entrance. Café voucher for driver. Gift shop.
Contact: Tel: 01931 712192 or Email: bookings@lowthercastle.org Website: lowthercastle.org Facilities: Toilets and Café on site.
Road links: From the North: M6 exit at J40. Follow A66 east to next roundabout, then take the A6 south for 3 miles. Follow the signs for Lowther Castle. From the South: M6 exit at J39. Follow A6 north for 8 miles. Follow the signs for Lowther Castle.
SATNAV: CA10 2HH
Cumbria Tourism is the official Local Visitor Economy Partnership for the Lake District, Cumbria and is here to help you find the right accommodation for your customers, locate new experiences, secure guides and more. Our team will also help with introductions to contacts and suppliers who are happy and keen to work with the travel trade. We can also provide the travel trade with free access to our extensive library of images and video footage of which we own the copyright.
For further information email Francine Bult: fbult@cumbriatourism.org or sign up to receive our travel trade e-newsletters at www.cumbriatourism.org/traveltrade.
The Let’s Go Culture project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is supported by Westmorland & Furness Council. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus