Most people who pass through Penrith are on their way somewhere else. They pull off the M6 at Junction 40, and pick up a coffee. They then point themselves at Windermere or Keswick before the engine has had a chance to cool down. Which is, it has to be said, a terrible waste of Penrith as a day trip.
Penrith is one of those places that rewards the visitor who actually stops. It is built almost entirely from the deep red sandstone that gives it such a distinctive look. The town sits at the edge of the Lake District with one hand on the Eden Valley and the other gesturing towards the finest scenery in England. It is a proper market town with a long and occasionally dramatic history. It also has a food scene that punches well above its weight. There is enough to fill an entire day without feeling like you have run out of things to do.
At A Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 |
| Best For | History, walking, food, and exploring the Eden Valley |
| Top Attraction | Lowther Castle and Gardens |
| Don’t Miss | Ullswater Steamers and the Giant’s Grave |
| Getting There | Direct trains on the West Coast Main Line; M6 Junction 40 |
| Postcode for GPS | CA11 7PE (town centre) |
| Nearby | Ullswater, the Lake District, and Carlisle |
Penrith Castle and Castle Park
The first thing about Penrith Castle is that it is free to enter and in the middle of town, next to the railway station. The second thing is that it looks exactly as a ruined medieval castle should. Which is to say: impressively dramatic, pleasantly crumbly, and surrounded by a park that is perfect for a picnic.
The castle’s history is tangled up with some of the biggest names in English medieval history. It was significantly developed during the reign of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who would later become Richard III, and the ruins you see today are a genuine remnant of that turbulent period of the 15th century.
For families, the park setting makes it an easy and enjoyable starting point for the day, with the children free to climb the grassy banks while the adults take in the rather excellent views of the surrounding red sandstone architecture.
The Giant’s Grave: Penrith’s Strangest Landmark
A short walk from the castle, in the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church, you will find one of the most genuinely odd things in Cumbria. The Giant’s Grave is a collection of pre-Norman crosses and Norse ‘hogback’ tombstones that are believed to mark the resting place of Owen, King of Cumbria in the 10th century.
Whether or not the legend is entirely accurate, the stones themselves are remarkable, and the churchyard setting gives the whole thing an atmospheric quality that is hard to manufacture.
The church itself is well worth stepping inside. It is a handsome Georgian building with a beautifully light interior and a stained glass east window that surprises many visitors who were not expecting anything quite so striking in a Cumbrian market town. Entry is free (my favourite word in the English language)!
Lowther Castle and Gardens: The Star of the Show
About five miles south of Penrith, Lowther Castle is the kind of place that quietly becomes the highlight of your entire day without you quite realising it is happening.
The castle itself is a magnificent ruin, a vast Regency shell open to the sky and gradually being reclaimed by the surrounding estate. But it is the gardens that really set Lowther apart. Described as ‘gardens within gardens’, the site has been the subject of an extraordinary restoration project.
It now offers a series of distinct spaces ranging from wildflower meadows and topiary to a walled garden and a woodland walk that feels genuinely magical in spring. The adventure playground is one of the largest in the U.K. and keeps children entertained for considerable lengths of time. That is always a useful quality in a visitor attraction.
The castle has been the seat of the Lowther family for over 850 years. The Story of Lowther exhibition inside the ruins gives a good account of its extraordinary history. Allow a minimum of three hours, and ideally more. There is a café, free parking, and the surrounding estate is criss-crossed with foot and cycle paths for those who want to extend the visit.
Ullswater: The Lake That Stops You in Your Tracks
Penrith sits just six miles from Ullswater, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in England and, frankly, one of the most beautiful anywhere. If you are making the trip to Penrith, it would be genuinely reckless not to include at least a brief stop at the lake.
The Ullswater Steamers have been operating scenic cruises since the 1850s and remain one of the great simple pleasures of the North West. Boats run between Pooley Bridge, Howtown, Aira Force, and Glenridding, and the views from the water are quite different from anything you can get on foot.
A one-way cruise combined with a walk back along part of the Ullswater Way is a particularly satisfying combination. Dogs are welcome on board for a small charge, and tickets can be booked online in advance, which is advisable during busier periods.
For those feeling more active, Aira Force waterfall is accessible from the Aira Force pier and is one of the most celebrated short walks in the entire Lake District. Wordsworth was a fan, which tells you most of what you need to know. It is worth noting that the Ullswater Bus runs from Penrith every weekend and bank holiday from late March, making the whole thing genuinely car-free if you choose.
Mayburgh Henge: Penrith’s Prehistoric Secret
Just south of Penrith, at Eamont Bridge, you will find Mayburgh Henge. This is a Neolithic monument roughly 4,500 years old, consisting of a large circular bank of river pebbles surrounding a single standing stone at its centre. It is free to visit, entirely open, and one of those places that prompts the kind of quiet reflection that is increasingly hard to find.
Standing inside the henge with the M6 audible in the distance and a single ancient stone in front of you is a strangely affecting experience. It was once part of a complex of three henges in this area, and despite being relatively little known outside Cumbria, it is among the more significant prehistoric monuments in the North of England.
The Town Itself: Food, Shopping, and Independent Spirit
Penrith’s town centre is a genuinely pleasant place to spend a couple of hours. The narrow ‘ginnels’, the old covered yards that wind between the buildings and were once used by farmers bringing their goods to market, give the centre a character that no amount of chain store development could quite flatten.
The Devonshire Arcade, a former Victorian market, now houses over twenty independent retailers including a butcher, a fishmonger, gifts, and clothing, and serves as a good reminder that not every town has entirely surrendered its independent soul.
For food, Cranstons Cumbrian Food Hall just off the M6 at Junction 40 is something of a local institution. Stocking produce from over a hundred Cumbrian suppliers, it is the kind of farm shop that makes you rethink what a farm shop can be. It is particularly good for picking up local cheese, cured meats, and freshly baked goods either before or after your day in town.
The Farmers’ Market runs on the third Tuesday of every month in Market Square and is the place to find genuinely local produce from the surrounding Eden Valley, one of England’s richest agricultural areas.
Where to Eat and Drink
| Venue | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cranstons Food Hall and Oswald’s Café | A quality pit stop near the M6 | Excellent hot food counter and upstairs café using local produce |
| The Garden Tea Room | A traditional mid-morning pause | Homemade cakes, Cumbrian tea, and a hidden courtyard garden |
| La Casita | Tapas with a Cumbrian twist | Fresh local ingredients in a Spanish-inspired setting |
| Xavier’s | A relaxed evening drink | Wine bar with a distinctly continental feel for a Cumbrian market town |
Essential Information
- By Train: Penrith is on the West Coast Main Line with direct services from Preston, Manchester, London Euston, and Glasgow. The journey from Preston takes just over an hour. The castle and town centre are a two-minute walk from the station.
- By Car: Exit the M6 at Junction 40 and follow signs for Penrith town centre. Parking is available at several central car parks.
- Getting to Ullswater: Bus 508 runs from Penrith station to Pooley Bridge and Glenridding. The Ullswater Bus runs additionally at weekends and bank holidays from late March, connecting Pooley Bridge, Aira Force, Howtown, and Lowther Castle.
- Getting to Lowther Castle: Bus 106 from Penrith runs Monday to Saturday and stops outside the gates. The 509 bus runs at weekends.
- Best Time to Visit: Spring brings the daffodils that famously inspired Wordsworth on the Ullswater shore and gives the gardens at Lowther their best early season colour. Summer is busier but the lake is at its most inviting.
- Postcode for GPS: CA11 7PE for the town centre, or CA10 2HH for Lowther Castle.
Final Thoughts on A Penrith Day Trip
Penrith is Cumbria’s best-kept open secret. It has been standing at this crossroads for the best part of two thousand years, quietly getting on with being excellent while the world drives past it on the M6 towards the Lakes.
A ruined castle, a prehistoric henge, one of the finest garden restorations in the North of England, a lake that genuinely takes your breath away, and a town centre that has held onto its independent character with some tenacity. Penrith is a proper day trip, and one that requires nothing more than the willingness to come off the motorway one junction earlier than usual.
If you are already making a trip to Carlisle, Penrith is a natural day trip and just 18 miles down the M6.
