A family day out at Allan Bank

Kids standing on a wall, look out over a nearby lake — Enjoying Easter activities at Allan Bank in Grasmere | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

From spotting wildlife on a woodland walk to getting creative with art activities or playing in the garden, there’s plenty to enjoy here at Allan Bank. Find out what's on offer and all the details you need to plan your visit.

Planning your family visit

Easter adventures are back at Allan Bank across the school holiday (from 6-21 April) - including the Easter Egg hunt
Free creative activities and board games
Picnics welcome both inside and out. There are benches in the garden and chairs and tables inside for those rainy days
Self-serve, free hot drinks and water
Baby-changing facilities
Highchairs are available in the Back Kitchen
Children under 5 are free
No parking on site. Please use pay-and-display public car parks in Grasmere or public transport - the 555 or 559 Stagecoach bus stop in the village centre.

Easter activities

Easter adventures are back at Allan Bank across the school holiday (from 6-21 April).

Make your way along the Easter trail, which includes a trail sheet, bunny ears and dairy or vegan/Free From chocolate egg. The egg hunt trail costs £3.50. Follow in the footsteps of Wordsworth's children, John, Dora, Thomas, Catherine and William in the garden where they once played.
Decorate a hard-boiled egg and try rolling them in the garden.
Pick up and an egg and spoon to have a race or try your hand at ‘egg’ throwing.
Dress up in and become a hero or a villain to re-enact your own traditional Easter ‘Pace’ play.
No booking needed. Standard admission applies + £3.50 per Easter trail sheet.

Family playing on the grass at Allan Bank, Grasmere, Cumbria — Family playing on the grass at Allan Bank | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Explore outside 

The woodland grounds at Allan Bank are perfect for little legs to enjoy. Pick up one of our wildlife spotter guides or an Explorer Backpack from the Back Kitchen and see what creatures, minibeasts and birds you can discover in the woods. See if you can spot any buzzards flying overhead.

Spot a red squirrel

Time spent at Allan Bank offers the rare chance of spotting a red squirrel, either out on the woodland walk or from a window in the house. You might spot one on a feeder or scampering about on the lawn, but don’t forget to look up, red squirrels spend a lot of time in the branches of trees. They are elusive and spotting one isn't guaranteed! We are working with Grasmere Red Squirrel Group, to create the right habitat for red squirrels to thrive.

‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’

Allan Bank is a great place to start ticking of some of your '50 things' list. Here's a few ideas to get you started: 

No. 1 Get to know a tree: Some trees have spaces big enough to get inside. Others can be climbed. Many have vibrant summer flowers or colourful autumn leaves to catch. Get to know a tree and see what creatures they are home to
No. 6 Go welly wandering : When it's pouring with rain, what could be better than chucking on your wellies and waterproofs and zooming around in the puddles, soaking up all the watery fun?
No. 12 Have fun with sticks: There are so many ways that you can have fun with sticks, we can’t begin to list them all here
No. 31 Make friends with a bug: Ladybirds, spiders, caterpillars, woodlice - there are all kinds of creepy crawlies hiding at the places we look after. Can you make friends with a bug?

Eat your picnic

The lawns are ideal for spreading out a blanket to eat your lunch especially in the spring and summer or there is a picnic bench in the garden. If it's rainy you can eat your snacks inside the house in the Back Kitchen where there are tables, seats and high chairs.

Walks in Grasmere

Allan Bank is a great starting point for other family friendly local walks. The paths to Silver How and Easedale Tarn start from right outside our house gate. Head back into the village to pick up the Miles without Stiles Grasmere Riverside which starts next to the Broadgate Meadow play area with swings, climbing frame, slide and a grass area. Another longer option is to walk round Grasmere lake (roughly 5km loop) head up Red Bank road until you come to a gate on your left with a finger signpost to Grasmere Lakeshore and follow the well signposted paths.

Red squirrel on the feeder at Allan Bank, Cumbria | © National Trust Images/Michael Hirst

Things to do on a rainy day

There's fun to be had even if the weather is wet - here are our favourite things to do when it's rainy at Allan Bank.

Pop on your waterproofs and follow the woodland trail, look out for the wet moss wall and bright green ferns.
Have a go at printing - linked to our new art exhibitions Women in Print - The Caravan Press and All The Better To Hear You With, there are print making activities around the house and in the Art Caravan outside.
Taking inspiration from artist Hidiyuki Sobue’s giant mural, why not create your own nature inspired art?
Learn about how William Wordsworth helped to protect famous areas of the Lake District in our semi-permanent display Wordsworth the Influencer.
Shelter indoors in the Back Kitchen where you'll find family board games and art activities.
Look for something new to read in the children’s corner of the second-hand bookshop.