Things To Do In Lake District When It’s Raining
The Lake District has some of the most beautiful scenery in England. And with a multitude of historic houses, delicious eateries and outdoor activities, it has all of the ingredients for a guaranteed great day out. The one thing we can’t guarantee in England though, is the weather. Even in the height of summer, the unpredictable Lake District climate means there is a chance you could see rain. It’s a good job, then, that are plenty of things to do in the Lake District when it’s raining!
Visit the Honister Slate Mine
Head to the Rheged Centre in Penrith
Visit the World Of Beatrix Potter in Bowness-on-Windermere
Visit the Lakeland Motor Museum
Visit Derwent pencil museum
Visit Honister Slate Mine
A perfect rainy day activity, you can see what lies beneath the landscape by taking a tour of Honister slate mine. This is England’s last working slate mine, where the methods of extracting the slate have changed very little in over 300 years. The distinctive Westmorland Green Slate is used in a variety of objects from roof tiles to kitchen worktops to beautiful homeware items. The bait cabin cafe will be open for refreshments and they have a slate shop where you can browse their beautiful products and ‘take home your own piece of the Lake District’.
The mine tour takes approx. 1.5 hours and runs multiple times a day. It’s £17.50 for adults 16+ and £9.50 for children aged 3-15 years old. Children under 3 go free.
Head to the Rheged Centre in Penrith
Purpose built into the hillside overlooking an 18th Century lime kiln, the beautiful Rheged Centre is ‘a gallery, café, cinema, shopping venue, workplace and creative space on the edge of the Northern Lakes’. It the ideal place to spend a rainy day because there is literally something for everyone. The cinema is 3 stories high, showing the latest blockbusters and one of the screens is fully immersive with an 18ft wide screen! The ground floor cafe was remodelled to give an open, relaxed space. It’s perfect for a coffee after browsing around the carefully selected shops selling quality clothing, home and lifestyle products.
There is a free car park for Rheged visitors for up to 5 hours. You must register your number plate inside for additional free parking for up to a maximum of 12 hours. Plenty of time for you to shop, browse the art gallery, grab a bite to eat and catch a film.
Visit the Beatrix Potter Attraction in Bowness-on-Windermere
The World of Beatrix Potter brings to life the wonderful children’s books by the well known author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter. It’s like you’re walking through the pages of the books as you see life size recreations of her famous characters such as Jemima Puddleduck, Jeremy Fisher and, of course, Peter Rabbit himself. There is an onsite cafe for refreshments and light bites plus a beautiful gift shop to pick up your own Peter Rabbit souvenir.
Entry is £9 for adults and £5 for children aged 3-16, under 3s go free.
If you are a Beatrix Potter fan, it is also worth considering a visit to Hill Top; Beatrix Potter’s farmhouse and the inspiration for her books. It is cared for by the National Trust and tickets need to be booked in advance.
Visit the Lakeland Motor Museum
This amazing museum, built in a converted mill, houses over 30,000 exhibits showing the history of various wheeled transport through the 20th Century. It’s not just cars here, there are also bicycles, motorbikes and various automobilia on display. They are really telling a story here, with period window displays, historic scenes and their very own memory lane display so you can see how these vehicles played a part in history.
Great for a rainy day activity, you can get something to eat after a stroll around the museum at Cafe Ambio, where they serve local, homemade refreshments. There is also the gift shop, gifts @ the Old Blue Mill, to pick up a keepsake from your visit.
Entrance is £11 for adults and £6.60 for children aged 5-15, under 5s go free.
Visit Derwent Pencil Museum
Yes, you really can visit the home of the first pencil! As you enter the Museum, you go through a replica of the Seathwaite mine where graphite was first discovered. You then move through the exhibit, seeing displays and restored machinery to see how pencils were made and how they are made now, right up to the fine art pencils Derwent produce today. They have an onsite cafe where you can grab coffee and a cake as well as a gift shop where you can purchase your own set of Derwent Pencils.
Entry is £6.25 for adults and £4.85 for children.
So you see, the rain doesn’t have to dampen a visit to the Lake District. Aside from these amazing places we’ve listed, there are also other sites such as Lowther Castle, Holker Hall and Dove Cottage which will all be perfect to visit on a rainy day.
If you have visited the Lake District recently, let us know what you thought of this magical place and feel free to share any suggestions in the comments below.
As always, sharing is caring so make sure to share this guide with your family and friends and inspire them to head off on their own English adventure.
