The Western Lake District’s best view

Whilst parents might want to head to the Western Lake District to capture the newly voted winner of Britain’s Favourite View on camera (Wastwater), their kids might have other ideas this half-term, with the area offering some of the most diverse visitor attractions available throughout the country.

If there were a vote for Britain’s favourite visitor attraction, the Western Lake District believes it would have many contenders. One that might give others a caning would be the unique attraction that is The Rum Story, located in the historic maritime town of Whitehaven, boasting 250 wonderful and mostly Georgian buildings, and a background entwined with the very spirit of the sea.

As every child knows, rum is integral to the story of piracy and no self-respecting pirate would set sail without barrel-loads on board. The Rum Story, Cumbria Tourism’s Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 2007, highlights the importance of rum on the high seas and is set in the original 1785 shop, courtyards, cellars and bonded warehouses of one of the rum trade’s main families - The Jeffersons.

A visit to The Rum Story involves a voyage through a tropical rainforest, an African village, a realistic slave ship, Cumbrian cottages, a cooper’s workshop and much more. It portrays the story of rum, from sugar cane to bottle and from Antigua to Cumbria. Its experiences range from the sound of animals and insects in the rainforest, to the intense atmosphere of the Sugar Workshop, manned by slaves taken from Africa, not forgetting the frightening drama that underpinned the smuggling of rum.

A deserted vault houses original machinery, including a hand-corking machine and lead sealer, and has a haunted aspect few visitors can shrug off. The story of rum making is told through video, whilst the terrible journey of slaves, from Africa, to the New World, is dramatically conveyed, from their sale, to the treacherous journey across the Atlantic.

With other exhibits communicating life in a Punch House and in a rich family connected to the Rum Trade, the attraction hooks the visitor into a dramatic story. They can also see one of the largest rum barrels in the country, originally holding £250,000 of rum, and test their naval knowledge through an interactive game.

The Cooperage area of the attraction takes visitors into a barrel workshop, in which coopers would have completed a seven-year apprenticeship, making barrels, selecting the right wood and then sizing, shaping and jointing that wood, to form a barrel.

Why the long, sparsely populated Cumbrian coast, with its proximity to the low duty, ‘Warehouse of Frauds’ that was the Isle of Man, was a haven for smugglers, is also revealed. The illegal smuggling of rum across the Irish Sea is portrayed as a cat and mouse struggle between the smugglers and the authorities. The story moves on, to the day of prohibition and the effect of characters such as Al Capone and his battle with The Untouchables on the alcohol industry.

The tour ends in the Fun Run Room, where larger-than-life TV chef, Rustie Lee, shows how rum can be used within recipes and cocktails, and where families can play various games, to ensure they leave in very high spirits!

Admission to The Rum Story costs £5.45 for an adult, £4.45 for a concession and £3.45 for a child, with a family ticket for two adults and two children costing £16.45. The attraction is open from 10am-4.30pm. More information is available at Rumstory.co.uk.

Another great option for families is Cars of the Stars, in Keswick. This unique museum is home to some of the most famous cars to have graced TV and film history, from Del Boy Trotter’s van, to James Bond’s Aston Martin.

A huge collection of famous and instantly recognisable cars are shown off to maximum advantage and in context with their film and TV careers. Every vehicle is displayed in its individual film set, supported by atmospheric lighting and sensational sound features.

A visit to Cars of the Stars is a trip into the world of nostalgia, with glimpses of the fantasy world of both TV and film. The list of jaw-dropping exhibits is endless, from the full James Bond collection, including the actual Aston Martin driven by George Lazenby in "On Her Majesty’s Secret Service", the Lotus Esprit Roadcar used in the chase sequence of "The Spy Who Loved Me" and the Cagiva Motorcycle driven by Pierce Brosnan in "Goldeneye".

In addition, visitors can discover vehicles such as Mr Bean’s Mini, the Back to the Future car, Batmobiles, the Flintmobile, Thunderbirds’ FAB 1, The Saint’s Car, Magnum PI’s Ferrari, the A-Team’s van, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Indiana Jones’s truck and Herbie – the VW Beetle everyone loves!

Cars of the Stars is open from 10-5pm, seven days a week until December and admission costs £4 for an adult and £3 for a child. Further details about the full collection of fabulous vehicles are available at Members.aol.com.

Families wishing to fulfil their spirit of adventure can head to the Honister Slate Mine, at the head of Honister Pass, where crags and old mine workings now play host to visitors and allow them to experience life underground. Whilst Peregrines and Ring Ousel may be seen flying overhead, it is what lies beneath at England’s last working slate mine, with is 400 million year old slate, that intrigues.

A tour runs three times a day, offering an excursion into a truly unforgettable subterranean world. Visitors can come to terms with enormous caverns, whilst journeying along some of more than eleven miles of tunnel, learning how slate is extracted and processed. The 75-90 minute tour is conducted by the lamplight affixed to the helmet and is a truly memorable experience.

With three tours in total, every visitor group can choose what best suits. The sensational Via Ferrata is probably at the top end of the adrenalin junkie scale, being based on hugely popular iron way, intrepid journeys in the Italian Dolomites. This is a big life challenge and an adventure climb up a rock face, but can be tackled by both adults and children. The minimum height requirement is 1.30m, but it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Fully trained guides are in attendance and comprehensive safety training is provided.

Tickets at Honister range in price from £9.75 upwards for an adult and from £4.75 for a child, depending on the tour or activity undertaken. Family tickets are priced at £27 upwards. For more information on tour options and prices visit Honister-slate-mine.co.uk.

For a mind-boggling experience, families can visit The Puzzling Place, in Keswick. This attraction bases itself upon the elements of fun and surprise, featuring both puzzles and illusions and giving a home to the integration of arts and sciences through a truly interactive experience.

The attraction’s collection of artwork, sculptures and visual oddities draw inspiration from some of the world’s great masters, such as Dali, Patrick Hughes and Guido Morretti. Principles of depth and motion are explored in a fascinating manner, whilst holograms find their own special place within the attraction, which boasts a unique collection of over 80, spanning more than 30 years of production.

Brain testing is encompassed in an area in which visitors can try to solve large wooden puzzles and tricky teasers. Staff are on hand to give a tip or two, as visitors strive to reach the solution.

The anti-gravity room is a particular favourite, as gravity gets turned on its head whilst assessing whether a ball can really roll uphill, or water flow upwards, thanks to an illusion known as an immersive environment.

Disbelief and amazement are common feelings in this attraction and many leave with a new perspective of the world that would gratify all great masters of illusion and interpretation.

For more details about this fascinating attraction, open seven days a week from 10-6pm, visit Puzzlingplace.co.uk.

Moving from trickery to the supernatural is a leap that can take you from the eastern edge of the glorious Western Lake District, to one of its coastal gems, Muncaster Castle, in Ravenglass. This castle is reputedly one of the most haunted buildings in the UK and lives and breathes legends, creating a fascinating yet terrifying blend that hooks most youngsters and their parents!

Muncaster has been home to the Pennington family for 800 years, but is also said to be haunted by the legendary Tom Fool. Visitors are challenged to visit its spectre-ridden Tapestry Room, only if they dare, and can even spend a night on a Ghost Sit in this room!

For the rather more timid, there is the World Owl Centre, headquarters of the World Owl Trust, boasting one of the largest collections of owls in existence. A Meet the Birds experience takes place at 2.30pm each day, subject to conditions and is a favourite of ornothologists and owl lovers alike.

A MeadowVole Maze is suitable for children over five and highlights the secret world of wildlife. Muncaster also has beautiful gardens to explore, whilst Muncaster Interactive, in the Old Dairy, provides a vast array of information about the Castle, its gardens and its winged inhabitants.

From October 22-March 2008, Darkest Muncaster takes hold, allowing visitors to explore life in the Castle’s gardens after nightfall. This experience involves light, music, sounds and special effects, creating spine-tingling feelings and breathtaking entertainment. Outdoor clothing and torches are essential, along with calm nerves!

Darkest Muncaster operates from dusk to 9pm, with last entrances at 8pm. Visitors can experience its delights every day between October 22-28 and on Halloween (October 31), as well as on every Saturday and Sunday in November and December and between December 26-28.

Prices for the Darkest Muncaster Experience are £5.00 for an adult, £2.50 for a child and £13.50 for a family.

Prices for the Gardens, Owl Centre and Maze cost £7.00 for an adult, £5.00 for a child and £22.00 for a family of two adults and two children. Under 5s enter free. A castle upgrade costs £2.50 per adult, £1.50 per child and £5.00 for a family. For further information visit Muncaster.co.uk.

With this array of ‘what-to-do’ options available, the Western Lake District is the place to head to this half-term. For accommodation options, visit Western-lakedistrict.co.uk or Golakes.co.uk.