Time for an adventure?

From climbing trees to making music, there’s plenty for kids to explore at Historic Houses places this year. Below, you’ll see just a small selection of the adventures that kids can enjoy at historic sites in Scotland and England.

Adventure playground at Cowden Garden

The Japanese Garden at Cowden, Clackmannanshire

The Woodland Walk at Cowden used to extend down to Cowden Castle, but now exists as a scenic walk east of the garden which has been filled with activities for children and families. It features a wishing tree, where you can write down your wishes and hang them upon its branches, a river crossing, where you can make a small boat from bark to send sailing down the river, a site to build dens from tree branches, and several other fun games and activities.

Bowhill House

Bowhill House, Selkirk

Fly down two exciting zip-wires each spanning an impressive 30 metres in length at the Adventure Playground. Explore two embankment slides, one a 12-metre tunnel slide and the other an eight-metre-long open slide – placed on platform towers, connected with a fun rope bridge.

Be the King, or Queen, of the Castle in the large wooden fort. Swing until your heart is content on the cross-scales, bucket swing, and tyre swing or start your own band with our musical instruments. All set against the majestic backdrop of Bowhill Country Estate.

Kids of all ages can amuse themselves here for hours, and they’ll learn a thing or two while they’re here. There is a world of information about walks, wildlife, flora and fauna just waiting for you and your family to discover.

Lulworth Castle

Lulworth Castle, Dorset

The playground at Lulworth Castle is currently under refurbishment, but is due to reopen in June.

Originally built as a hunting lodge to entertain aristocracy and royalty, Lulworth Castle was for centuries the family seat of the Weld family, the current owners of the Lulworth Estate. Ravaged by fire in 1929, it has been partly restored in a pioneering partnership with English Heritage.

With extensive parkland, woodland walks, a children’s playground, the spacious grounds are yours to enjoy, walk the dog or enjoy a picnic. (Please keep dogs on leads, dogs not permitted inside the Castle). The Castle Tearoom is open for light refreshments and souvenirs.

Eastnor Castle

Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

When it comes to fun for children, Eastnor Castle is bursting with things to entertain and excite children of all ages!

The grounds are brimming with natural play resources such as trees to climb, leaves to kick, sticks to collect and bugs to find! There are also some beautiful lakeside and arboretum walks for children to run off some energy! All children are offered a ‘Fun for Children’ booklet on arrival which offers puzzles, things to spot and challenges to complete.

Knebworth House

Knebworth House, Hertfordshire

Have a fun-filled day at the Adventure Playground: enjoy the astro and drop slides, play on the swings and slides at Fort Knebworth, whizz down the zip wire, try the interactive splash water play features, and scale the new climbing equipment.

Sudeley Castle

Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire

A highlight on any family day out is the hugely popular adventure playground. The enclosed playground features a huge fort full of hidey-holes to explore, levels to climb, towers to defend, bridges to cross, slides to zoom down and a climbing wall to master. Nearby is an adventure trail, 10-piece obstacle course, zip wire, swings and picnic benches sure to provide endless entertainment for kids.