Lowther Castle & Gardens
Lowther Castle & Gardens
A stunning Lake District visitor attraction
Of the many treasures waiting to be discovered in the English Lake District, Lowther Castle is a particular gem. Built at the turn of the 19th century on the site of two previous houses, the castle was a grand affair boasting a room for every day of the year. Its gardens were the envy of the north.
But in 1957 the castle was demolished. Just the façade and outer walls remained standing and for over half a century, the place was empty – home only to chickens, pigs and the odd bat. The gardens were lost to wilderness.
Today Lowther Castle is one of the most intriguing visitor attractions in the country. Dramatic ruins, gardens within gardens, an adventure playground to rival the best in the land. We look forward to welcoming you.
A grand day out..
As you set out to visit Lowther Castle, we would like to make a few suggestions. Bring your children, your grandchildren, your friends, your dogs (on leads). Dress for all weathers, wear big smiles and expect to stay a while.
Lowther Castle is full of stories. Many of these are told in the exhibition, the Story of Lowther. And if you go exploring, through the ruins, through the gardens and woodland, you will find plenty more food for the imagination. The same family has lived here for 850 years and you can see and hear their echoes.
Meanwhile, if the younger members of your team wish to make their own stories, then seek out the lost castle, one of the UK’s largest adventure playgrounds. And when all of you are ready for a rest, you can retreat to the café or the takeaway and have some delicious freshly-made food.
The castle ruins and gardens are open every day from 10am to 4pm in winter and 10am to 5pm in summer. For castle and garden entry fees, click here. Last entry to the gardens 1 hour before closing.
PS. Cycle-hire is also on the menu so once you have explored the castle and gardens to your satisfaction, you can climb aboard a bicycle and journey around the wider park.
Gallery🍂🍁 The colours of Autumn at Lowther Castle 🍂🍁 One of our lovely visitors got these beautiful Autumnal shots last week. Thank you to @thegoldenretrieverralph and his humans for these stunning captures. The trees in the garden and across the wider esta…
⚠️ WE ARE CLOSED TODAY - SUNDAY ⚠️ Due to the storm we have had to make the decision to close the gardens today to keep our visitors safe. The café remains open all day. Sorry for the inconvenience, we hope to re-open as normal tomorrow.
Video🍁🏰🍄 Spend Half Term with us at Lowther Castle & Gardens 🍁🏰🍄 The leaves have turned to the most beautiful shades of reds, oranges and yellows. There’s a mist in the air and a mystery about the castle ruin. Lowther Castle and gardens also has a huge ad…
Gallery🌾 Heroes of the tapestry 🌾 As we continue to celebrate autumn with a closer look at our tapestry garden, we wanted to take a look at the perennials that bring structure, interest and a golden glow as the season marches on. Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerste…
We are delighted to announce that Lowther Farming Partnership Ecology Team has won the Ecology Team or Company Award at the 2026 Pro Landscaper Sustainability & Biodiversity Awards! This prestigious national recognition celebrates the team’s outstand…
Reel🪵 Lowther Castle Garden Talk ~ Benjes Hedge 🪵 Don’t forgot we have another gardeners talk on tomorrow at 2pm. Free with garden entry and also free for annual pass holders* October 15th, 2026 2:00–2:30pm Meeting point: Heronry EVERYTHING BENJES with S…
Gallery✨🎄Lights of Lowther Giveaway 🎄✨ We’re giving away 2 family tickets & 2 pairs of tickets to our Winter light trail ‘Lights of Lowther’ to be used on a Friday or Sunday evening. There will be 4 lucky winners on Instagram and 4 lucky winners on Facebook…
Gallery🐿️ Red Squirrel Awareness Week 🐿️ Did you know it’s red squirrel awareness week? We are lucky enough to have a population of red squirrels in the grounds at Lowther Castle. There’s only 287,000 in the UK, we are very grateful some of them choose to c…
Reel🍁🍄🟫 Autumn has arrived at Lowther Castle 🍎🍂 The orchard is full of apples, mushrooms are popping up across the lawns and the leaves are beginning to turn the most beautiful shades of red, rust and gold. There’s a little magic in the changing seasons…
GalleryPostcards from the Tapestry Garden by Kate Harrison The Cumbrian autumn may have arrived but our tapestry garden continues to shine in all its glory. We want to celebrate the season of crisper mornings and golden afternoons by taking a closer look at…
Reel🪵 Lowther Castle Garden Talk ~ Benjes Hedge 🪵 October 15th, 2026 2:00–2:30pm Meeting point: Heronry EVERYTHING BENJES with Senior Gardener Andrew Sagar As part of the initiative within the gardens to adopt fully sustainable practices, the gardening t…
❓Lights of Lowther ~ Frequently asked questions ❓ 🐶 Can we bring our dog? 🐶 Absolutely! We’re a very dog friendly place and your dog is more than welcome to come on the light trail. Illuminated leads and collars are encouraged to add to the fun and t…
Reel🍎🌳🌾 Apples, Orchards & Haystacks 🌾🌳🍎 Apple picking with a difference! 🍏 A big thank you to everyone who joined us last Thursday for our afternoon in the orchard with Deputy Head Gardener Tom & our Ecology Horticulturist Rachel. Lots of fun was had an…
Reel✨🎄 What makes Lights of Lowther different? 🎄✨ Your ticket gets you into the castle & gardens and the UK’s largest Adventure Playground during the day so you can make a full day of it, making it excellent value for money for all of the family 💕🏰✨ Book…
Reel✨🎄 What makes Lights of Lowther different? 🎄✨ Your ticket gets you into the castle & gardens and the UK’s largest Adventure Playground during the day so you can make a full day of it, making it excellent value for money for all of the family 💕🏰✨ Than…
🌈🏰 Rainbow over Lowther Castle 🏰🌈 How beautiful is this capture by @dwight_hubbard_photography who caught the rainbow over the castle the other day? Thank you Dwight for letting us share this wonderful photo 😊 #lowthercastle #castlesofinstagram #cast…
Reel✨💫 Glow Trail By Eden Valley Hospice 💫✨ We were thrilled to host the first ever Glow Trail last Saturday in aid of the amazing charity @eden_valley_hospice and the children’s hospice @jigsawchildrenshospice What a fantastic cause and the evening was…
Reel🦋 The butterflies loving life in the Tapestry Garden 🦋 Our Ecologist Rachel got this fabulous footage on Monday. The butterflies absolutely adore the Eutrochium maculatum ‘Riesenschirm‘ (Joe-pye weed) If you’re visiting tomorrow we’ve got a Gardener…
Reel🍎🌳🌾 Apples, Orchards & Haystacks 🌾🌳🍎 Apple picking with a difference! 🍏 Join us on the 24th September at 2pm for an educational talk about our orchard with Deputy Head Gardener Tom & our Ecology Horticulturist Rachel. Tickets are £22 and include an e…
Gallery🍂🍁🥮 Autumn has arrived in the shop 🥮🍁🍂 Beautiful cookbooks, chutneys and preserves, ethical hats, scarves and socks, pretty beaded jewellery boxes and stunning stationary await in the Lowther Castle Shop this month, all in beautiful Autumnal colours.…
Reel🍯🐝 Beekeeping Talk with Josh & Ellie 🐝🍯 Featuring @lakedistricthoney lakedistricthoney Have you ever wondered what the process of making honey actually is? Well now is your chance to ask those burning questions! Jim Lowther has been a passionate beek…
GalleryDid you know we bake all of our pies, sausage rolls and quiches on site? Rafal has been busy in the bakery this week, they are proving popular now it’s cooled down a little! #lowther #homemadepies #cumbrianfood #lakedistrictuk
Gallery🌾 The Tapestry Garden 🌾 The parterre / tapestry is looking beautiful at the moment. All those rich Autumnal tones are coming through in the perennials. If you’re free on the 17th, don’t miss our talk with Gardener Kate Harrison about what is planted…
Reel🌿🌼🌾 Gardener Talk ~ Mighty Perennials in the Tapestry Garden 🌾🌼🌿 Join our lovely gardener Kate Harrison for a talk about the mighty perennials in the Tapestry Garden in front of the Castle. The planting scheme designed by @danpearsonstudio needed to…
Reel🏹🌳 Archery & Tree climbing 🌳🏹 It’s the last day our Archery & Tree climbing this summer! A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part, we hope you all enjoyed it! If you’re visiting today you can upgrade your ticket at admissions or Into the woods…
Gallery✨🎄Lights of Lowther Giveaway 🎄✨ We’re giving away 2 family tickets and 2 pairs of tickets to our Winter light trail ‘Lights of Lowther’ on a night of your choice. There will be 4 lucky winners on Instagram and 4 lucky winners on Facebook too. To be i…
GalleryDon’t take our word for it, here’s what our wonderful customers have said about Lowther over the Summer. We appreciate your reviews so much, it helps other people know what to expect from a day at Lowther. Thank you for taking the time to give us fee…
ReelWith 6 different unique gardens to explore, a fascinating history that dates back to the Norman period and countless unforgettable adventures to be had, Lowther Castle & Gardens is an unforgettable day out suitable for all generations. There’s still…
Gallery🛝 What better end of Summer treat than a visit to the UK’s largest Adventure Playground?! 🛝 There’s still two weeks left of the summer holidays and Lowther Castle is the perfect meeting point to catch up with friends or have a wonderful day out with…
Gallery✨ Lights of Lowther - Playground announcement ✨ A few people have asked if the playground will be open during our Winter light trail evenings. Whilst the playground will be closed from 4pm due to it being dark, we are happy for you to come into the g…
🎭 Pinocchio Open Air Theatre tomorrow at Lowther Castle Gardens in aid of the Calvert Trust 🎭 Looking for something to do tomorrow? Why not support a wonderful charity the Calvert Trust and come and watch Pinocchio? Illyria celebrates this magical co…
Gallery🌞🌿🌸 Summer Stills 🌼🌿💛 It’s been great to welcome so many visitors to Lowther this summer. Whether you’re old or new customers we appreciate you choosing Lowther for your day out. Your support means we can keep restoring this unique building and its g…
Gallery✨🎄💫 Introducing Lights of Lowther 💫🎄✨ It may still be Summertime but our Winter plans are well underway, and we are so excited to share our brand new Festive light trail event with you! ‘Lights Of Lowther’ promises a magical evening and it’s your opp…
Reel🏰🛝 Lowther Castle & Gardens - The perfect family day out this Summer! 🌼🌿 Summer is in full swing at Lowther & it’s so lovely to see so many of you enjoying your time here. Here’s what you can expect from a trip to Lowther 🌹 Discover the beautiful ros…
GalleryHow adorable are these photos by @caz7111 showing Lowther is the perfect place to hang out with friends - whatever age group you fall into! 💛 #lowthercastle #lowther #daysoutwithkids