City
5 Best Activities In Ambleside
Outdoors, and unapologetically so. Four of the five entries here need reasonable weather, which is a risky proposition in Cumbria and still the right way to do this town.
Grizedale Forest is the substantial one — forest trails, room to walk as far or as little as the smallest legs allow. Wray Castle gives a lakeside walk a destination, and White Platts Recreation Ground is where you take children who simply need somewhere to run. The insurance policy is Ambleside Climbing Wall, a wall under a roof and the reason a wet day here need not be written off.
Showing 1–5 of 5
Sports & ActivitiesAmbleside Climbing Wall
Parks and PlaygroundsGrizedale Forest
Parks and PlaygroundsWhite Platts Recreation Ground
CastlesWray Castle
AdventureThe Ambleside Mystery Treasure Trail
12 more within 10 miles of Ambleside
Windermere Lake Cruises
Brockhole Lake District Visitors Centre
Predator Experience
Zip World Windermere
Treetop Trek Windermere
Treetop Nets
Critter Creek Adventure Golf
Lake Windermere
Wordsworth Grasmere
Windermere Missing Excalibur Trail
Crags Adventures
The World of Beatrix Potter
Check the sky, then choose. Forest and castle on a clear day, the recreation ground for a short window between showers, and the climbing wall when the fells have disappeared into cloud entirely.
Visiting Ambleside with kids: FAQs
It has been raining since we woke up. Is there any indoor option?
Ambleside Climbing Wall is what you reach for when the sky has closed in, and an indoor wall handles a wet Lakeland morning better than most things. Sessions, supervision rules and whether children need an adult climbing with them are decided by the centre, so ring or check their site first.
How much walking can we realistically do with young children?
Grizedale Forest is the kindest of the outdoor options because you choose your own distance and turn back when you need to. White Platts Recreation Ground requires almost none at all. Trail conditions change through the year, particularly after wet weather, so plan the shorter route.
Is the castle a proper visit or just a landmark?
Wray Castle works best as the destination that gives a walk a point, especially with children who need a reason to keep going. What is open inside and how a family visit is arranged varies through the year, so it is worth checking before you build a day around getting there.