Center parcs Whinfell forest review – Family friendly guide

We spent February half term enjoying a UK family break at Center Parcs Whinfell forest so I thought I’d share a post on everything you need to know if you are considering a trip here. This family resort is just off the M6, very near to the Lake District National park. Read on for my Center parcs Whinfell forest review. Find loads of Family days out North West here.

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Where is Center Parcs Whinfell Forest?

Center Parcs Whinfell forest is at the top of Cumbria, just outside Penrith. It’s just 5 minutes or so from junction 40 of the M6.

If you’re using a sat nav to get to Whinfell Forest, the address you need is: Center Parcs Whinfell Forest, Penrith, CA10 2DW.

Find Places to stop on the M6 if you are looking for somewhere to stop on your wat to Whinfell forest.

Arriving at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest

Center parcs holidays all start on a Monday or Friday. We arrived mid-afternoon and it took us just over 30 minutes queuing down the long drive to get to the check in hut.

Once at the check-in hut it’s really quick and easy as you check in all guests online before arrival. At the arrivals hut they check a few details so make sure you have your booking reference handy. Center Parcs text me mine the day before. Then you’ll be given a map of the resort and your electronic wrist bands for the adults in your group. These wristbands are used to let you into your lodge and for locking and unlocking the lockers in the swimming pool changing rooms.

Once you have finished here you are told which area of the car park to leave your car. If you haven’t paid for 2pm check in, your check in time is 4pm. At 4pm the gates from the car park and you can drive up to your lodge to unpack. You then have until 10pm to take your car back.

We arrived about 3:30 pm and headed straight to the pool. You can arrive from 10 am and use all facilities during the day. The pool was definitely quieter at this time on a Monday. My husband went to get the car about 5pm and there were no queues to move the car. Myself and kids walked straight from the village center to our lodge.

Our 2 bedroom new style lodge

We had a 2 bedroom new style lodge in three oaks area. Our walk to the center was about 10 minutes (just over half a mile). We didn’t hire bikes but we did bring the kids scooters and that worked for us.

We found our two bedroom lodge had pretty much everything we needed for our break. You enter into a good size hall space for storing shoes and coats. There was also a cleaning/boiler cupboard and toilet off to one side.

Then you enter straight into the living space. We had a dining table and chairs for 4 as well as a high chair and a cot is stored folded against the wall in this area for those who need it.

There is a small kitchen area which is fairly well stocked. We had read various articles on what to bring and I was pleased we had packed a few bits of kitchen equipment. There were plenty of crockery, mugs, glasses and cutlery. The sauce pans were also fine but we were glad we had brought our own frying pan and oven trays for pizzas.

You are provided with 1 tea towel, dishcloth and a few dishwasher tablets. I’d recommend packing a few tea towels, dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, kitchen foil, surface cleaner, bin bags and kitchen roll.

There was a small under the counter fridge with a small freezer compartment, single oven and hob, microwave, dishwasher, toaster and kettle.

In the living room area there is a large TV with a DVD player and HDMI input as well as a log fire ( smokeless logs only and I believe these are being replaced with electric fires at some point and DVD players are also being removed). The tv does have some freeview channels but if you have a * firestick it is recommended to bring it.

Our lodge had a large L-shape sofa and an armchair. There was also a large coffee table.

There is a bathroom off the main living space with a shower over a bath. Towels are provided (1 set of hand and bath towel per person). You are provided with some toilet rolls but I’d pack a few extra if you don’t want to pay on site prices. Don’t forget to pack soap, toothpaste and other toiletries as these aren’t provided.

Our two bed lodge had a twin room and a double room. Both bedrooms were lovely and relaxing, comfortable beds and plenty of storage. There is a really great place to store your suitcases under the beds as well as draws, shelves and hanging space. There is a TV in the double room, dressing table in both with a good hair dryer. There are wall lamps by the bed too.

We loved our lodge and found it worked really well for us as somewhere to cook some of our meals, relax and unwind. We did spend some time in the lodge during the days so I packed some craft kits for my kids as well as some card and board games.

Whinfell Forest village centre

The village centre with most of the shops and restaurants (as well as the swimming pool is located under a large domed roofed building. It’s got a tropical feel to it with lots of planting.

Here you’ll find the guest services, the small supermarket, a few other shops (gifts, toys and sweets mainly) and various restaurants including:

• Cafe Rouge
• Bella Italia
• Dexter’s kitchen
• Huck’s American Bar and Grill
• The pancake house
• Starbucks

There is also an indoor play area above Cafe Rouge (full details in the playgrounds section below).

Right next to the swimming pool is the bowling alley which is also where there are regular free kids discos. There is also an activity den where some of the kids craft activities happen.

Subtropical swimming paradise

I didn’t take any photos of the pool as it was always so busy. You can see the pool in this video though.

We loved the pool and visited every day for a couple of hours. It was my children’s favourite part of our holiday. It has something for kids of all ages including thrilling flumes for older kids and dedicate baby pools for little ones and loads for everyone in between.

There are a variety of indoor & outdoor pools and water slides. There really is something for everyone. The indoor pool has a variety of different areas including a pool that has regular wave sessions which are great fun. There’s also a cave, toddler area, splash area, a small lazy river, various spa pools and bubbly benches. There is also a small activity pool where you can pre-book various activities for kid like mini jet skis.

There are 2 outdoor pool areas. Even in February we enjoyed spending time in these. It’s lovely to be in the warm pool and seeing the steam rise off it in the cold area. The only downside is that you do have to walk outside to get in and out of the pool!

There are several different water slides including some really big ones (like the tropical cyclone which are great for teens) and a very small one for toddlers. Some of the slides were closed on our visit whilst they are being replaced.

There is a rolling maintenance schedule for the pool on the website so it worth checking if it will affect your stay. It is needed though as some areas of the pool are looking a bit dated and in need of some care and repair.

Eating out at Center Parcs Whinfell

There are lots of different places to eat out at Center Parcs Whinfell forest. The prices do seem to be a little higher than you might be used to including in the chain restaurants. It also feels more expensive as a service charge is automatically applied. Drinks seem to have the biggest mark up.

Kids eat free and other discounts don’t generally apply to the Center Parcs branches of the chains like Cafe Rouge and Bella’s Kitchen. I have seen some Center Parcs specific kids discount in term time though.

We did eat at Cafe Rouge on one night of our stay. The food was as you would expect from a chain restaurant and we had a nice last evening. Whilst the bill was a little higher, it wasn’t massively inflated.

I’ve listed all the restaurants in the village centre above. There are a few other places to eat out at Whinfell Forest like the Lakeside inn which has a great soft play area for under 10s. It’s not huge but it’s pretty good and our kids enjoyed it whilst we enjoyed a drink one night.

There are a couple of places to eat in the Sports Plaza including the sports bar/cafe which has a large screen tv (usually playing sporting events) as well as loads of pool tables that you can prebook. There is also a Starbucks and Rajinda Pradesh restaurant.

Getting around Whinfell forest

Cars are only allowed in Center Parc on change over days. You can drive up to your lodge from 4pm to drop your belongings off but then you need to take your car back to the car park until the morning of your depature.

For the rest of your stay you will need to either walk or cycle around. We decided to walk but we took our children’s scooters with us too. We were staying in 67 Three oaks which the website says is 15-20 minutes from the center. There are some a bit further from the center than ours but also lots more that are closer.

With the kids on scooters we found we could get to the center in about 10-15 minutes and this was fine for us. Our children were 7 and 10 when we visited. If you have younger children, you may want to pay the extra to choose a closer to the center lodge or hire a bike with a trailer for them.

If you do want to explore the whole site a bike is a great idea. You can take your own or hire them from the cycle center. We found on 1 day we walked 8 miles!

If you do take your own bikes or scooters, don’t forget to pack helmets and bike locks. We purchased a really cheap bike lock which was perfect for locking two kids scooters together at the bike stands. This is the one we got * bike lock.

What can you do for free at Center Parc Whinfell forest?

There are plenty of things to do for free, especially if this is your first visit. We spent some time scooting and walking around Center Parcs seeing the different areas. We especially like walking around the lake area.

We also found a bird hide to stop at on our walks. There are several playgrounds which are all free to visit (more details below). There are some free (but small soft play areas indoors too).

Swimming is free and my kids loved the pool. We spent about 2 hours in the pool every day (including check in and out days).

In the winter the wishlight village and forest lights are free to explore and we spent quite a bit of time here (with older kids though, I suspect you’d visit once).

Activities at Whinfell forest center parcs

There are lots of additional activities that you can pay extra to do. Some of these activities are quite expensive in my opinion but there are some that are good value so once you book you can see what activities are available and how much they are).

Some of the lower cost activities include adventure golf, family interactive ball walls, kids crafts and I was told that boat hire on the lake is low cost (we visited in winter so the lake activities weren’t available so I couldn’t see the prices to confirm this).

There are loads of activities to choose from for adults and kids of all ages. There is a gym, spa, tennis courts, football, segways, indoor caving, climbing, treetop treks including for toddlers, crafts, pottery painting, falconry, geocaching and so many more.

There are so many you could do lots of these or none. Think about your budget, what your family will enjoy and how often you want to go swimming, cycling or walking. You might also want to think about building in some time relaxing in your lodge.

Playgrounds at Center parcs Whinfell

There is a large adventure playground behind the village center which is a fantastic playground for kids of all ages.

For younger ones, there is a sand play area and some other small equipment but the play area at the Sports Plaza is better for little ones.

For older kids there are some large climbing structures and slides as well as a zip wire. My kids would have spent all day in the playground!

There is a smaller playground behind the Sports Plaza. My 10 year old felt just a little too big but my 7 year old loved it. There is a lovely big area for under 3s too.

There is a really little playground near the nature discovery area too.

If you are looking for indoor play areas, there are a few and they are all free. There is a play area for children under 145cm above Cafe Rouge. It’s not huge but there is a fantastic slide and some climbing areas and bridges etc.

There is a small soft play in the Lakeside inn . My kids enjoyed this for a short time whilst we enjoyed a drink. I suspect younger kids would enjoy it for even longer.

I believe there is a small soft play for really little ones in the sports plaza.

What we loved about Center parcs Whinfell forest

We visited a four-night midweek Center Parcs break (Monday to Friday) in February half term and really enjoyed our visit.

We are a campervan family who enjoy camping, walking and generally being outdoors. February half term is the holiday I find hardest and Center Parcs turned out to be the perfect winter break.

We loved being close to nature, being able to walk and scoot around the forest, spending time in the pool and the winter light trail. For us it was a great place to balance spending time outdoors and having indoor activities for when we needed a break from the cold or wet!

The lodge was a great place to spend family time relaxing too. My kids love reading, crafts and family games too so we had a fantastic afternoon relaxing post swim and before going to the forest lights.

We visited in the winter and enjoyed the winter forest lights so much. My kids had us back every day! Find out more here – Winter forest lights at Center parcs Whinfell Forest

We cooked a lot in our lodge but also enjoyed drinks in the Lakeside Inn one night and eating out at a restaurant another night.

I think that Center parcs is a great place to visit out of season for a fantastic break for families. I’m sure it is a fantastic place to visit in the better weather too, although you’ll find us off walking and exploring bigger areas.

I’ve written more about center parcs winter breaks here.

Would we visit Whinfell forest Cumbria again? Probably but I’m also keen to try Sherwood Forest as we live in Cheshire and it’s about the same distance to both villages.

Our top tips for visiting Whinfell forest Center Parcs

you can have a full week at Center parcs or a short break Friday to Monday, three-night weekend break or a Monday to Friday four-night short break.

I didn’t use the spa as I didn’t fancy a trip on my own but Aqua Sana Spa does look like a great place to spend a little bit of time relaxing.

If you can visit outside of school holidays you will find the prices cheaper. Our February half term was later that some areas so whilst not as cheap as visiting in term time it was cheaper than the week before which seemed to be the most common holiday week.

If you are visiting for the first time, don’t over book activities. Allow some time for exploring the forest on foot or bike and don’t forget to factor in some time spent relaxing too.

There are some great outdoor play areas as well as few small indoor soft play. 

We stayed in one of the standard woodland lodges but if you are happy to spend more then you could stay in an executive lodge (some even have their own sauna) or even a treehouse (with a hot tub and much more).

Take your own bikes or scooters to save money or you can hire them from the cycle centre to collect on arrival day.

Mobile phone reception is poor and I believe this is for all networks. The wifi is great thought in the lodges and main areas of the site.

Talking of arrival day, you can drive your car to your lodge and unpack from 4pm. We only arrived about 3:30pm so we headed straight to the pool for about an hour. My husband then collected the car around 5pm and said there were no queues. I have heard there can be big queues at 4pm when everyone has the same idea. You can pay for 2pm early access too.

Whinfell forest is a red squirrel wildlife sanctuary so you should get to see some. You’ll also see plenty of other wildlife like birds, badgers and deer if you’re really lucky.

I’ve shared some tips for things to pack throughout the post but I’ll summarise them here:

• * bike lock,
• few tea towels,
• dishwasher tablets,
• washing up liquid,
• kitchen foil,
• surface cleaner,
• bin bags,
• kitchen roll,
• Your own frying pan and large baking trays if you want to cook pizza (we took pizza’s with us as a quick meal for our arrival night)
• towels for the pool, we took our microfibre ones that we use for camping
• * a firestick
• some DVDs for the kids but be prepared that there might not be a DVD player as they are phasing them out
• Toys, crafts and games for use in the lodge
• Toilietries, soap, toothpaste etc
• Clothes hand was for washing your swimsuits through by hand – there are no washing machines in the lodges or a laundrette
• Smokeless logs for the fires but again your lodge may have been upgraded to an electric fire
• Water bottles for taking out and about
• Whatever food you think you can fit in the car. We took breakfasts, snacks and meals too.

I hope you have a fantastic family break.

Things to do near Whinfell Forest

There are loads of thigs to do nearby if you either want to venture out or if you are looking for things to do on the way to or from Center Parcs.

Find my full guide here – Things to do near Whinfell Forest.

Center Parcs Whinfell forest is on the edge of the Lake District so if you fancy a stop off somewhere nearby, here are some of the best things to do close by:

• Tebay services is a great place to stop for a meal on your way to Center parcs from the south. It’s not often I recommend service station as a great place for a meal but this one is run by a farm, the food is amazing and kids eat for £1 with adult meals.
• This is a great family walk – Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail
• Sizergh Castle is another stop about 30 minutes south of Center Parcs. We love Sizergh castle play trail
• Fancy a day out? here are the best Child-friendly attractions in the Lake District.

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