Six miles south of Penrith, this sprawling country estate, once the ancestral home of the powerful Lowther dynasty, is undergoing a huge, multimillion-pound restoration project. Though the castle itself is to remain a ruin, restoration work is breathing life back into the gardens, which fell into disrepair following WWII. Among the areas to visit are the Iris Garden, the Great Yew Walk, a restored parterre and many hidden follies, lakes and woodland areas: bikes are available for hire.
A fantasy land of turrets and mock battlements, the house itself was commissioned in 1806 by William, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, but a combination of chronic mismanagement, debts and death duties meant that in 1957, James Lonsdale, the 7th Earl, stripped it for parts. Practically everything, including all its furnishings and even the castle's roof, was sold. Now an empty shell, it's an atmospheric monument to the plummeting fortunes of one of Cumbria's oldest and most powerful families.
