Easter holidays are almost upon us, which means there are so many things to do, see and explore over the next few weeks.
We’ve have noticed the increase in coach trips and visitors to our little area of Cumbria, in the Eden Valley. As the daffodils open up so do the wide variety of activities in the county and you don’t have to be a great outdoors person to find plenty to enjoy here.
So for an eclectic mix of things to do, here are 5 fun things to do this April in Cumbria.
1. Join the circus for the weekend
Appleby-in-Westmorland may be famous for the flooding and the horse fair, however it has been a centre for circus skills for many years. With a popular circus school, it wasn’t too unusual to see a student of the Grammar School going to lessons on a unicycle (yes I saw this with my own eyes, a few years ago!)
Local Astral Circusis bringing the big top back into the centre of town for the weekend this month, by popular demand. The show is to raise much needed funding for the annual Appleby Carnival. This year the giant red and yellow big top will be setting up in the stunning setting of Appleby Castle’s keep.
Show times:
Saturday 13th April, 1.30pm, 4pm, 7.30pm
Sunday 14th April, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 4pm
Tickets £5 from Appleby Tourist Information Centre,
or from Pauline on her mobile 07480117072 or home 01768354028
In Penrith the Gandeys’ big top also returns this month with The Greatest Showman. Having seen the giant red and yellow tent from the A66 we made the good decision to get tickets to see the show – on the back of The Greatest Showman movie – and we weren’t disappointed.
There are no animals in this show, however there are amazing acts which have you on the edge of your seat. Can’t wait to see them again this year, as they have some new acts touring in 2019.
They will be at Frenchfields in Penrith April 26-29. Check out times and tickets on www.gandeyscircus.com.
2. Get aboard the Classic Commercial Rally buses
Easter in the Eden Valley is synonymous with classic vehicles taking to the roads and a great celebration of classic buses, trucks, fire engines…..you name it they have it including military vehicles. The Classic Commercial Rally is based in Kirkby Stephen and Brough, with Classic Coaches providing free transport between the key venues – so you don’t just see these great vehicles, you can ride them! The Cumbria Easter Rally,20-21 April is organised by the Eden Classic Vehicle Group, enthusiasts that bring history to life. It is a really good family day out, wth something for everyone to enjoy.
The bus route also takes you to Kirkby Stephen railway station on the historic Settle-Carlisle line and, also the Stainmore Railway Companywhere they will be running a steam service. Admission to the site is free but there are charged for train rides.
The passion for restoring these vehicles is plain to see, and their enthusiasum is infactious. We have covered this event for many years, last year in the snow and hopefully this year (with Easter being later) the sunshine again!
The local cafes and restaurants are open and there are table top sales and auto jumbles all over the place – and it’s free to visit.
3. Get a taste for Cumbria
There are a number of food events taking place across Cumbria this month, mainly around the Easter holidays.
In Carlisle the Easter International Marketopens, with food from across Europe and beyond. The market takes place in the centre of the city, in the pedestrian zone infrontof the old town hall. From April 18-22 you can enjoy Frankfurters and paella, Italian sweet treats to hot chocolate. The market brings a buzz to the centre of Carlisle, and it is a pleasure to wander around and soak in the experience – and it’s usually warmer than the Christmas market!
While Carlisle celebrates the food of many nations, at Kirkby Lonsdale and Holker Hall their food festivals focus on the great local produce we enjoy in Cumbria.
The Taste Festival in Kirkby Lonsdalehas become a popular event, running this year on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14.
This is a beautiful setting for such an event, a traditional rural, market town where for generations producers have brought their best produce to market.
Holker Hall Food Festivalon April 21 is set in the stunning grounds of this historic home in West Cumbria. It is an event we have never visited yet is on our ‘to do’ list this year – so watch out for our adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
4. A visit to the theatre
There are some amazing productions on in Cumbria this month including:
The Picture of Dorian Gray with Jonathan Wrather, fresh from the Emmerdale set and Educating Rita with Stephen Tompkinson at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. We will be reviewing these plays on cumbria24 – s o follow us on Facebook, Instragram and Twitter so you don’t miss out.
And the tradition of the Christmas panto has been extended to the Easter Panto at The Sands centre in Carlisle, where Peter Pan will be performed for just one performance on Sunday April 28.
And in Workington at the Theatre Royal The Workington Playgoers will be presenting stepping Out by Richard Harris.
From stars of tv and theatre to local amateur productions, Cumbria does have a vibrant theatre scene – including productions in our village halls through the Highlights Rural TourismScheme – we’ll have more about that in future posts!
5. The new Windermere Jetty
We visited the Lake District’s new Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam and Stories this week, and what a great experience it was. The £20million development to create this new base for the museum and conservation boat year is a great attraction and has something for all the family to enjoy – you don’t have to be a sailor or mad about boat to enjoy the experience. This is a great visitor attraction whatever the weather – s a great alternative to the Pencil Museum on a wet day! For more detail visit http://www.windermerejetty.org/.
We’ll be out and about capturing events throughout the month, and hopefully getting to these events above, so follow our adventures in the lakes and more on Instagram @LakesAndMore, Facebook @Cumbria24and on Twitter @Cumbria_24
If you are looking for more things to do this Easter holidays in Cumbria, here’s a list of activities from the National Trust:
Here are some top activities for a spring day out this Easter:
Acorn Bank
Spring trail
30 March–22 April, 11am–3pm
Explore Acorn Bank on a new springtime trail. Adventure around the wood and discover the wildlife that calls it home. Normal admission charges apply plus £2 per trail.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/acorn-bank
Allan Bank
Easter crafts
30 March–28 April,10.30am–4pm
Get crafty this Easter making your own cards to send to friends or pompoms to hang at home. Normal admission charges apply.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/allan-bank-and-grasmere
Derwent Water
Derwent Island House open day
10 April, 10.15am–2.30pm
Paddle a canoe across Derwent Water to enjoy a guided tour of the Georgian house and gardens, and see the lake from a different perspective. Adult £14.25, child £4, family £28.50, booking essential on 0344 249 1895 (booking fee applies).
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/borrowdale-and-derwent-water
Fell Foot
Pizza nights
Every Tuesday in April, 5–7pm
Eating out will never be the same again. Head to the lakeshore of Windermere, where your pizza will be made before your eyes in the wood-fired oven. All you need to do is pick your favourite spot in the grounds, roll out a picnic blanket and tuck in.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fell-foot
Hill Top
Samuel Whiskers’ children’s trail
Daily, 10am–4pm
Make your way around Beatrix Potter’s farmhouse and see if you can spot Samuel Whiskers’ family who have come to visit. Normal admission charges apply.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hill-top
Sizergh
Spring flowerpot trail
30 March–28 April, 10am–4pm
Spring is here and it’s time for the flowers to put on a show! Find the clues and learn what Sizergh’s plants have been up to. Take home a prize and see if you can grow one of your own. Normal admission charges apply plus £2 per trail.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sizergh
Sticklebarn
Langdale nature trail
30 March–28 April, 11am–4pm
Discover Langdale by becoming a nature detective for the day. Can you find everything on the ranger’s spot sheet? Free
Pace egg racing
19 April–22 April, 12 noon & 3pm
This old British tradition is coming to Sticklebarn over Easter – have a go at racing a pace egg to claim the winner’s prize. Free
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sticklebarn-and-the-langdales
Townend
Spring trail
30 March–18 April, Wednesday–Sunday, 1–4pm
Follow our spring trail to explore the garden as George Browne plants up his seeds ready for summer. Take away your own seed in a little pot to nurture at home. Normal admission charges apply plus £2 per trail.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/townend
Wordsworth House and Garden
Become a rock artist
Monday 1, 8, 15 & 22 April, 11.30am–3.30pm
Follow in the footsteps of the land’s earliest inhabitants and decorate a pebble to tell a personal story.
Make your mark as a Georgian
Tuesday 2, 9 & 16 April, 11.30am–3.30pm
Learn about 18th-century letter writing, pen a missive or poem of your own and seal it the Georgian way.
Become a natural artist
Wednesday 3, 10 & 17 April, 11.30am–3.30pm
Let nature awaken your creativity and make a piece of wild art from found objects or create a poem out of stones.
Spooky stories by the fire
Thursday 4, 11 & 18 April plus Friday 19 April, 11.30am & 2.30pm
Join the servants by the kitchen fire to hear some of the ghostly tales William and Dorothy Wordsworth might have enjoyed. Age 7+.
Pastimes from the past
Every Sunday plus Saturday 30 March, 6, 13 & 20 April, 11am–4pm
Think outside the Xbox and try your hand at some of the indoor and outdoor games William and Dorothy Wordsworth would have enjoyed.
Normal admission charges apply.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wordsworth-house-and-garden
Wray Castle
Birds of Wray Castle quest
30 March–28 April, 10am–5pm
Imagine yourself in the feathers of one of the resident birds, and explore what life’s like for each of them around the grounds. Normal admission charges apply.
Find out more: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wray-castle
And of course it wouldn’t be Easter without a Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt (or two or three)… You can follow a trail and hunt for clues to earn a Cadbury chocolate treat at all these places over the Easter weekend and for some a little longer:
Allan Bank
19 April, 10.30am–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2.50 per trail
Beatrix Potter Gallery
13–28 April, 10.30am–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2 per trail
Buttermere
19 April, 11am–2.30pm
£2.50 per trail
Derwent Water
22 April, 11am–2.30pm
£2.50 per trail
Ennerdale
21 April, 11am–2.30pm
£2.50 per trail
Fell Foot
21 April, 11am–3pm
£2 per trail
Hill Top
13–28 April, 10am–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2 per trail
Sizergh
22 April, 10am–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2 per trail
Steam Yacht Gondola
19–22 April, see website for timetable
Normal fares apply, donation for trail
Tarn Hows
19–22 April, 10.30am–3pm
£2 per trail
Townend
19–22 April, 1–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2 per trail
Whitehaven Coast
20 April, 11am–2.30pm
£2.50 per trail
Wordsworth House & Garden
19–22 April, 11am–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2 per trail
Wray Castle
19–22 April, 10am–4pm
Normal admission charges plus £2.50 per trail
