Top Family Friendly things to do in Ulverston

The Lake District is a great place for families and children, and Ulverston is no exception. From coast trips, to little hikes and garden visits, here are some of the best things to do in Ulverston as a family… 

  • Camping

Ulverston offers a small selection of nearby family friendly campsites with plenty of space for kids to enjoy ball games and a night under the stars… 

  • Priory View Camping and Caravan Site 

Tent pitch- £15 per night Caravans £18 per night 

Exclusive to members of the Camping and Caravan Club, Priory View Camping site is a small, family-run site with space for around 10 tents and 5 caravans/motorhomes. The site is ideally situated for walks around Ulverston and the southern Lake District and is within walking distance of the town centre. 

  • Urswick Campsite 

Contact the South West Lakes District Scouts for availability and pricing. 

Nestled on a limestone woodland outcrop, Urswick Campsite is a large site close to Ulverston town centre and is a basic, classic campsite ideal for families. The site is surrounded by fields and woodland with plenty of space for exploring and playing field games and has room for around 100 tents. 

  • Little Walks for Little Legs

Ulverston  is an ideal place to walk with kids; from park strolls to adventurous woodland trails, these routes have all you need to your little ones occupied and interested along the way!

  • Ford Park

A may-marked nature trail follows through the woodland of Ford Park, which is accessible from Ulverston town centre. The forest route is short and flat and passes a series of interpretation boards providing information about all the wildlife in the park such as birds, bats and butterflies. Challenge your little ones to see how much wildlife they can spot! Walk leaflets are available on the Ford Park website which include routes on the Nature Trail and the Tree Trail. Little ones can test themselves on the different type of the trees they pass! Once you’ve had a little walk, children can play in the adventure playground and have some refreshment in the café.

  • Hoad Hill

To introduce little legs to a bit of incline, head up to Hoad Hill and visit the Sir John Barrow Monument at 440ft.  Aim to visit the hill when the flag is flying; this means you will be able to explore the inside of the monument, which has a staircase leading to the top. Take a picnic to enjoy at the top of the hill, which offers stunning views over to Morecambe Bay and the southern Lake District fells.

  • Bardsea Alpacas

Enjoy a family day out at Bardsea and get to know the resident Alpacas and Llamas! The centre offers of the largest herds of Alpacas and Llamas in the Lake District and is situated right on the beachfront surrounded by woodland at the foot of Birkrigg Common. Take an Alpaca or Llama out for a walk on the beach or in the forest; children over the age of 10 can even walk their own furry friend! Younger children are of course welcome on the walks too but an adult must accompany them.

  • Lakes Aquarium

Situated at Lakeside on the southern end of lake Windermere, the Lakes Aquarium is a fun family day out observing hundreds of different wildlife both local and exotic including species of fish such as Pike, Arctic Charr, Clownfish and Piranhas, mammals including otters and mice, and reptiles such as frogs and axolotl. Colourful groups of fish can be observed swimming over your head by walking through the aquariums glass tunnel; other interesting displays include a high waterfall plunging into a stream of salmon. The centre host regular talks and tours during the day with a special children’s quiz trail!

  • Stott Park Bobbin Mill 

Nestled on the shores of Lake Windermere, around 20 minutes away from Ulverston town centre, the Stott Park Bobbin Mill was built in 1835 and has produced millions of wooden bobbins over the centuries for Lancashire spinning and weaving industries. The mill is still operating today and is the oldest working bobbin mill left in the Lake District. The story of the Bobbin Mill is brought to life with tours and exhibits; visitors can watch bobbins being made on the original belt driven machinery. The mill offers a hands-on family trail where children can take a step back in time and dress up. Young boys were often drafted from workhouses to work in the mill often in arduous, dangerous conditions. Don’t leave your children unattended or they may be mistaken for workers!