East of Carlisle

A morning of Romans and history; an afternoon of mega-slides and energy; an evening of peace for parents hopefully.

Morning: 

Begin a day of family fun with an excursion to Birdoswald Roman Fort. Overlooking the river Irthing, most of Birdoswald's outer walls remain, along with gates and interval towers. Birdoswald was the base of the First Aelian Cohort of Dacians from the 3rd century. The ruins contain remains of two well preserved granaries and the visitor centre has interactive exhibits to capture your imaginations.

After Birdoswald, march your Roman warriors east along the Wall a short distance to visit Harrow’s Scar milecastle 49, then cross the bridge to the far side of the river and view the Willowford Bridge Abutment, now approximately 70 metres from the slowly migrating river. 

Parking and tea room refreshments are available at Birdoswald, which is open November 4 - February 16 Saturday and Sunday 10.00-16.00. Admission is free for English Heritage members, £5.40 for adults, £3.20 for children (ages 5-15) and £4.90 for adults over 60 and students with a valid ID card. Harrow’s Scar and Willowford Bridge are free and open during daylight hours.

Afternoon: 

Drive southeast through the village of Brampton, where a Tourist Information Centre is housed in Moot Hall, an octagon building circa 1817, and continue on to Walby Farm Park on the northeast outskirts of Carlisle for lunch and an afternoon of adventure. 

Featuring the county’s largest indoor play area with a 24 foot adult/kid friendly slide, ball pool and more, award-winning Walby Farm Park is also home to an expansive petting zoo (Walby even has a wallaby!), outdoor swings, slides and trampolines, go-karts, pedal tractors, sandy digging area, electric mini-quads, as well as the Curly Tails Cafe, serving up a home-cooked menu and locally produced treats. 

The park is open daily (except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day) from 10am - 6pm (last admission at 4pm). Admission costs are £7.45 for adults and children over a year old, £5 for adults over 65, and a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children is £28.