Western Lake District has Easter cracked

Attractions in the Western Lake District have hatched some wonderful plans for Easter 2008, focusing on kids and grown-ups alike, with an emphasis on nature and getting back to traditional forms of entertainment.

This stunningly beautiful and quieter part of Cumbria is making the most of its natural assets and is determined to help children learn about the world around them, through an interaction with the environment and the animals within it.

Families tired of seeing their children vegetate on the sofa, glued to their computer games, have a number of options when it comes to getting them outdoors, learning how to enjoy simpler, traditional activities.

BEE GARDENS

At Seventeenth Century Mirehouse, three miles from Keswick, Cumbria, on both March 22 and 23 children can hunt for answers to an Easter Quiz within the sheltered Bee Garden. This part of the gardens was created in the mid-1900s when beehives were introduced during an extensive restoration of the gardens. There are 200 Easter eggs to be won by children completing the quiz at a home that is always happy to see children enjoying the great outdoors.

The grounds of Mirehouse include four woodland playgrounds. Three of these – The Forest Castle, The Steeplechase and Squirrel Island, are for under 11s, whilst the Forest Hazard Course keeps 12-16 year olds happy. A heather maze complements these, baffling all members of the family and allowing younger visitors to let off steam, before they head to the owl hunt, or history quiz, depending on their age.

Nature lovers can explore the rest of the grounds, where an ancient and rare wildflower meadow has 43 species of plant and where they can see a snuff garden. There is also a rhododendron tunnel and a circular walk of about a mile in length, stretching through parkland, woods, along the shores of beautiful Bassenthwaite Lake and back to the house.

Whilst strolling beside Bassenthwaite, families might just spot Cumbria’s ospreys diving into the lake for food, as these wonderful birds are due to return to their Cumbrian habitat by April.

Those wishing to also explore the house, can see an unusual display of manuscripts including James Spedding’s collection of Francis Bacon’s works, as well as letters from Wordsworth, Tennyson, Southey, Thomas Carlyle and John Constable. There is also an interesting collection of furniture and portraits.

Mirehouse’s gardens and Old Sawmill Tearoom renowned for its traditional Cumbrian food, are open from 10am-5.30pm, whilst from Easter Sunday, to the end of October, the house is open between 2-5pm on Sundays, Wednesdays and also Fridays in August. Adult entrance costs £2.80 for garden only and £5.60 for house and grounds. Children’s admission is half-price and a family ticket for both gardens and house costs £15.50.

Parking is at Dodd Wood car park and costs £3, this being refundable against admission. There is a frequent bus service and a newly launched Osprey Bus that can also drop visitors at the Mirehouse, Keswick bus stop. For more information visit Mirehouse.com. Mirehouse is located at CA12 4QE, on the A591 near Keswick.

LAKELAND SHEEP AND WOOL VISITOR CENTRE

Only a few miles from Mirehouse, families can enjoy a trip to the Lakeland Sheep and Wool Visitor Centre, Sunday to Thursday. Shows featuring nineteen different breeds of sheep take place in a custom-built theatre, at 10.30 am, Noon, 2pm and 3.30pm. The show provides visitors with facts about each breed and includes highly trained sheepdogs handling flocks of geese. Chicks and lambs will also play a part in the Easter celebrations.

This fusion of education and entertainment always delights families, who can also stay at the adjoining three star, 26 bedroom Shepherds Hotel. With all mod cons in the en suite rooms, this is an ideal place to stay if families wish to explore the Bassenthwaite Lake area, to try to spot the ospreys.

They can also take a forest walk in Whinlatter Forest, where an osprey watch station is based, or head off to the coast at Whitehaven and Maryport, for a boat trip. An exploration of the rich heritage associated with the rum and spice trade can also take place at The Beacon and The Rum Story visitor attractions, in Whitehaven.

More information about Shepherd’s Hotel & Restaurant is available at Shepherdshotel.co.uk.

BAA LAMBS

Just behind Bassenthwaite Lake, families will find Trotters World of Animals, where Easter activities also revolve around nature and where children can learn about animal care and conservation. The Easter Lambs & Chicks event will be staged between March 20 – April 4 and will take place within a supervised petting area. Children will be able to experience the joy of feeding a newborn lamb or kid, as well as stroking a downy gosling, hold a fluffy duckling and meet some of Trotters own Easter bunnies.

Strolling around the park, they will also be able to see a whole host of other animals, including Grants zebra, lemurs, meerkats, Lar gibbon, otters and an Asian Fishing Cat and a very rare Canadian Lynx. Children can also adopt any animal at the Wildlife Park for £30.

With play and picnic areas and a café, there’s lots to see and do for an admission price of £6.50 for an adult and £4.80 for children aged 3-14. Under 3s enter for free. Trotters is open from 10am-5.30pm daily, with last admission at 5pm.

WORDWORTH HOUSE

If families wish to compare their lifestyle with that of people living in Georgian times, a visit to Wordsworth House, in nearby Cockermouth, is a must. Lovingly restored by the National Trust over four years, this was once home to five Wordsworth children, including poet William and his sister Dorothy.

The house offers informed insights into Wordsworth’s childhood as it highlights how the family would have learned, played and lived, as well as examining the food that would have been served and what eighteenth century Cockermouth would have been like as a town. Visitors can be hands on in some of the rooms, interacting with the ‘period’ staff, as well as trying on clothes and playing with toys.

More information about the extensive restoration programme undertaken by the National Trust is available at Wordsworthhouse.org.uk. This major project covered everything from conducting paint analysis to assess how rooms would originally have looked, to recreating Georgian life, furnishings and garden layouts, through the employment of skilled artisans and talented landscapers.

The gardens have been laid out according to the findings of research undertaken, to show how it would have been planted during the 1770s. They are planted with fruit trees, vegetables, cut flowers and herbs, which would all have contributed to the food and décor of the Wordsworths’ home.

Wordsworth House is open from 11- 4.30pm Monday to Saturday. Admission costs £4.90 for an adult and £2.60 for a child, with a family ticket priced at £13.50 for two adults and two children. These are Gift Aid admission prices, but visitors can choose to pay a lower standard admission, if they wish.

More details are available at Wordsworthhouse.org.uk.