11 of the best Adventure playgrounds North West
Kids love adventure playgrounds and it’s not hard to see why. We have some fantastic adventure playgrounds in North West England. Here I have rounded up the best ones across our region. Find more Family days out North West here.
It’s worth mentioning that this list is a mix of free and paid adventure playgrounds and I have selected a few from each area of the North West so hopefully there is something for everyone. There’s even a huge indoor adventure playground included in this list but the majority are outdoor adventure playgrounds.
Lowther castle – Penrith, Cumbria
Location – Lowther Castle, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2HH. Lowther castle is a short drive from junction 39 of the M6.
Parking – Free but you need to pay for admission for the gardens and castle to access the amazing adventure playground.
Admission price – Adults £15, children (3-15 years) £10, family tickets £45. Annual passes available. Prices correct February 2025.
Adventure playground – This is one of the best adventure playgrounds in the North West in our opinion. My kids were 8 and 11 years old when we visited and they spent 2 hours in the playground!
This adventure playground is huge and themed on a castle. It’s really fun with areas to climb, run around, explore, slides, zipwires and so much more. The slides are amazing and there are options for little kids, right up to teens.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are allowed in the gardens at Lowther castle but they are not allowed in the playground.
Other facilities – Admission also gets you access to explore the beautiful castle ruins and gardens. It’s well worth spending time doing this and you’ll find some tree swings too. There are toilets and cafes too.
Find out more here – Lowther Castle Adventure playground
Pennington flash, Leigh, St Helens
Location – The Flashes Wigan and Leigh National nature reserve. Postcode for the car park is WN7 3PA.
Parking – Pay and display parking.
Admission price – Free
Adventure playground – This adventure playground was renovated a couple of years back now and it is an incredible free (or low cost) playground. The playground takes inspiration from the nature reserve and there is lots of decorative features as well as playground equipment for all ages.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are allowed but they must be kept on leads.
Other facilities – There is a cafe nearby and also lots of options family walks around the nature reserve.
Find out more here – Pennington flash country park
Bewilderwood, Whitchurch, Cheshire
Location – BeWILDerwood Cheshire is located to the North of Whitchurch along the A49. The postcode is SY13 4JF.
Parking – Parking is included in your admission cost.
Admission price – Prices are dependent on height. Children under 92cm are free, between 92cm and 105cm it costs £20.95, over 105cm and it costs £22.95. Annual passes are available too. It is buy 1 get 1 free for February half term!
Adventure playground – This attraction is made up of lots of large adventure playgrounds! They’re fun for kids and adults too. Yes, you’ll end up on some of the play frames with them climbing, balancing and generally exploring the cool structures.
There are areas specifically for toddlers and preschoolers including their own min ziplines.
Are dogs allowed – only assistance dogs are allowed into BeWILDerwood.
Other facilities – As well as all the play structures there is a storytelling theatre, craft area, cafes and toilets.
Find out more here – BeWILDerwood Cheshire review
Brockhole on Windermere, The Lake District
Location – Brockhole on Windermere, Windermere, LA23 1F.
Parking – There is a parking area which is pay and display. In school holidays this car park can fill up very early in the day. In fact during their October half term Halloween event, only ticket holders can park at the attraction.
Parking costs start at £5 for 2 hours, up to £8.50 for full day parking.
Admission price – The only entry cost is parking so if you arrive on a Windermere cruise or by bus then there is no entry fee.
Adventure playground – This a large free adventure playground with something for all ages. We’ve been visiting since our kids were toddlers and our eldest is now 11. There has always been plenty of play equipment to suit their abilities.
The toddler area has lots to choose from and it’s right next to the bigger areas so you can easily keep an eye on both age groups. In the toddler area there is lots to explore including a play boat, small hut, a smaller slide/climbing frame shaped like a boat. So much fun for little kids.
For older kids, there is a large climbing structure with lots of towers, areas to climb and a fantastic spiral slides (yes, there is more than 1). My 8 and 11 year old love it!
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are allowed in the grounds of Brockhole, cafe, shop etc but they are not allowed in the fenced off adventure playground.
Other facilities – There are public toilets nearby. There are picnic areas within the playground and around the rest of the gardens. There is a food and drink hut near the playground.
There are paid attractions like boat hire, crazy golf, Zipworld trek and nets, archery and axe throwing. They often have additional kid’s activities on during holidays. There Halloween event is incredible!
Find out more here – Brockhole on Windermere
Whinlatter forest, Keswick, Cumbria
Location – Whinlatter Forest, located in the northern Lake District near Keswick. The main visitors centre, which features the play trail and serves as the starting point for several trails, is easily accessible with the postcode CA12 5TW. During the summer months, visitors can take the 77/77a Honistor rambler bus from Keswick to the forest.
Parking – pay-on-exit ticket machine system in place. The charges, as of April 2023, include no charge for up to 20 minutes, £2.60 for the first hour, £0.50 for each additional 15 minutes, and a maximum all-day charge of £10. Visitors arriving by bus can enjoy the forest and play trail free of charge.
Admission price – None other than parking.
Adventure playground – There is a wildplay trail that is almost a mile long! There are 9 different play zones including a huge slide, swings, a water play area, climbing wall, large climbing frame and a gravel pit with pulleys and shoots.
Honestly, it’s a fantastic play are spread over almost 1 mile. The perfect start or end to a family walk in the forest.
Are dogs allowed – Dog’s are welcome in Whinlatter forest.
Other facilities – There are several walking trails, with varying levels of difficulty. While Whinlatter is a mountain forest and does not offer flat walks, the paths are wide and smooth, making them manageable for off-road pushchairs.
The play trail, approximately 1 mile long, is pram-friendly, as is the Gruffalo trail, which includes wooden sculptures of characters from the beloved children’s book. The Gruffalo trail is also 1 mile long and features some steep uphill sections. I have seen people with off road prams but expect to push up hill including some short steep sections.
You will find a cafe, visitor centre, toilets and shop near the car park. There is also bike hire and Go Ape.
Find out more here – Whinlatter forest walks
Haigh woodland park, Wigan
Location – Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan, WN2 1PE.
Parking – 30 minutes free, £1.50 for 90 minutes or £3.50 for all day.
Admission price – The playground is free.
Adventure playground – This is a large, free playground with lots of different equipment for all ages. There are quite a few different sized slides, a zipwire, roundabout, several climbing frames, swings and even a sandpit.
Are dogs allowed – Not in the playground but they are allowed in the park to enjoy the walks.
Other facilities – There are free toilets, several cafes and shops, a gallery, crazy golf, adventure golf, high ropes, low ropes and miniature railways (only open on specific days). There are also loads of paths for enjoying a family walk.
Find our full guide here – Haigh Woodland Park
Speke Hall, Liverpool
Location – Speke Hall, The Walk, Speke, Liverpool, L24 1XD
Parking – Free parking
Admission price – Free for National Trust members. A family entrance to the grounds only is £32.50 for non-members.
Adventure playground – There is a lovely play area here with a good range of slides, climbing frames etc for different aged children. This is a fenced play area with picnic tables nearby.
There is also a play trail “Giant Childe of Hale Trail” which is so much fun for kids. There is a good mixture of sculptures and interactive bits for children and it leads to an area with den building and zipwires! There are also balancing obstacles and stepping stones.
Next to the gated play area is a fun hedge maze which we love.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs on leads allowed in most areas of the grounds except kitchen garden, play areas, maze and Giant Childe of Hale trail.
Other facilities – You can explore the historic house (additional cost for non-National Trust members) if you choose as well as enjoying walks around the gardens. There is a cafe, second hand bookshop and toilet facilities.
Find out more here – Family friendly Speke Hall
King’s Garden playground, Southport
Location – King’s Gardens are on the promenade in Southport.
Parking – There is pay and display and on-road parking nearby. You can also walk from Southport train station.
Admission price – Free
Adventure playground – This is Tree Top Towers and it is an amazing adventure playground for kids. There are several large wooden play structures with a mixture of areas to climb, balance, swing and slides.
There is a smaller area for younger children right next to the larger adventure playground.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are allowed in most of the gardens but they are not allowed in the playground area.
Other facilities – This playground is within a 17 acre beautiful gardens around a lake. There are plenty of pram-friendly paths to explore, a little land train that kids love, crazy golf, Adventure golf, model railway village, pedalo hire and Adventure Coast Southport. Other than walks, these extra attractions are paid attractions. There are several tea rooms too.
Find more Things to do in Southport with kids here.
Lyme Park, Disley
Location – Lyme park is located in Disley, Stockport. The entrance to Lyme Park is 1 mile from the playground (and house and gardens) so take this into account if you are using public transport.
Parking – There is plenty of parking although on a particularly good day this can all be full by lunch time!
Admission price – Admission and parking is free for National Trust members. If you’re not a member but aren’t bothered about going in the house, a park & garden ticket for a family of 2 adults and up to 3 children starts at £17.50 (rising to £20 on 1st March 2025). Find full admission details here – Lyme | Cheshire | National Trust
Adventure playground – The adventure playground is called Crow Wood Play Area and was renovated a couple of years back. My kids love the slides, climbing frames and tunnels to crawl through.
There is plenty to choose from for different age groups, all fairly close together. It is built on a slope and there are some dips and large structures so it’s not possible to see the whole playground at once which might be a consideration if you are on your own with different aged children. There are some things for different abilities in similar locations though.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are allowed at Lyme Park but not in the playground.
Other facilities – There are toilet facilities in several locations, several coffee shops & kiosks, ice cream sellers, shops (second and books, plants and NT gift shops), formal gardens, the historic house and the wider parkland to explore.
Find a fantastic Lyme park circular walk to the lantern here.
Billy Bobs, Preston, Lancashire
Location – North Planks farm, Garstang road, Barton, Preston, PR3 5AD.
Parking – There is plenty of free parking and there is a bus stop right outside too.
Admission price – You do need to book play here and is is £3 per child, per hour.
Adventure playground – There is both an indoor adventure playground and an indoor play barn here. The play barn isn’t the typical soft play that you might imagine as it’s more for adventurous bigger kids. There are rope swings, zip lines, a foam pit and slides.
The outdoor area is more suited to children 9 years and under with loads of transport themed wooden play structures. These have swings, slides and loads of places to climb. They’re also great for kids to play imaginatively.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are allowed in the outdoor seating area but not inside the play areas or inside Billy Bob’s.
Other facilities – This is more than a play place, it’s an American themed diner with an desert parlour. We loved our visit and the ice cream sundaes. There are 30 flavours of ice cream on offer as well as milk shakes and pancakes.
The diner has burgers, hot dogs and more to choose from. The theming is fantastic, there’s even a coca-cola truck and yellow school bus that you can eat inside!
Find out more here – Billy Bob’s Preston
Mrs Dowsons Farm Park,
Location – Hawkshaw farm, Longsight Road, Clayton-le-Dale, Ribble Valley, Lancashire, BB2 7JA. It’s a short drive on the A59 from junction 31 of the M6.
Parking – There is free parking.
Admission price – The cost depends on the time of year and what if any event is running. It is usually only possible to visit the play area as part of a trip to the farm park. The only exception is at February half term when you can pay just for the indoor play area. In February 2025, prices are from £5.95
Adventure playground – This one is a bit different as this huge playground is indoors in a barn! There are smaller play areas outdoors in the farm park too.
The large wooden structure has multiple levels, places to hide, bridges to walk across and a lovely large slide too. There are different ways to climb up to the bridges and slide, including a staircase in the back corner which is fantastic for adults and young children. Yes, adults can climb up and go across all the bridges too which is great if you have young children.
Are dogs allowed – Dogs are not allowed in the farm park or play barn.
Other facilities – There is a courtyard with street food vendors and their small ice cream parlour which sells the most delicious ice cream.
Find out more here – Mrs Dowsons farm park review
Other adventure playgrounds recommended by North West families
There are so many amazing adventure playground in the North West that this guide could get very long if I try to include them all but here are a few more that we love and also some recommended by our Facebook followers.
- Grizedale forest
- Ford park, Ulverston
- Brockholes in Preston
- Astley Park, Chorley
- Fairhaven Lake
- Rothay Park, Ambleside
- Castle park, Frodsham
Where to next?
Find the Best parks in manchester here.
Find the Best parks in Lancashire here.
