Wray Castle Windermere:
Quirky is a great way to describe Wray Castle being a neo-gothic building with a fascinating history.
Furthermore, it boasts beautiful parkland including a stunning part of the Windermere coastline with amazing views of the Lake District fells.
It was built in 1840 for retired surgeon, James Dawson and his wife Margaret.
Certainly, at the time, the castle was designed to impress with fairytale towers and splendid lofty halls.
However, since 1929 the castle has been owned by the National Trust.
The castle and 64 acres of land were donated by Sir Noton and Lady Barclay.
Interestingly, Wray Castle was the first place Beatrix Potter stayed in the area along with her family.
Every year she would accompany her parents to the stunning Lake District.
During her holidays, she would roam the countryside sketching and daydreaming and always on the lookout for small creatures to draw.
Celebrating her 16th birthday, Beatrix sparked her love and life-long association with this beautiful part of the Lake District.
So much so, later, she bought her own small farm at nearby Hill Top, with the proceeds of her first book The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
To summarise, Wray Castle has a great range of activities for everyone, young and old.
There is a Peter Rabbit adventure for younger children, while older children can dress up, help build a castle or play outside and swing on the ropes swings.
For older visitors, take a tour of the castle or explore the trails and gardens and learn about the history.
