#CountryKids at Wray Castle and Claife Viewing Station

Whilst doing our Easter trails last week we also had time to appreciate some of the rest of the things on offer at the National Trust properties we visited. The first of these was Wray Castle which is my son's favourite National Trust property. They do well at providing things for all ages so I could I appreciate this photo frame that allows for shots of Windermere:

Inside the castle there are always old favourites plus new things to find. The bark rubbing didn't appeal to my son but would have entertained other children:

The castle has links with Beatrix Potter who stayed there with her family, this means that there are plenty of excuses to link up with her characters:

The old servants' quarters and accommodation block is a mini maze but we managed to find a room dedicated to the Trust's steam yacht:

There is also an Allan Bank room with murals showing the real views there plus a taster of the activities you can do:

We have experienced a few National Trust sports events and they now have a room in the castle with ideas of how to get fit on their Lake District properties. My son could not resist the bicycle challenge:

Despite the rain a visit to the outdoor play area was a must. This climb was easy for him and harder for an overweight adult!:

The playground keeps on being added to so there is always something new to try such as the balance logs:

or the horizontal tyre swing:

The newest addition opened on Good Friday and my son was keen to explore the wooden fort:

His final challenge was to reverse climb the rope wall:

We then drove southwards to Claife Viewing Station which has just been re-opened after a 2 year project. This is a place we had never been to before but had seen from the car: 

The station was built during the picturesque period of the 1790s to allow tourists the perfect views of Windermere. It fell into disrepair in Victorian times and so lost the roof but the views are still amazing:

The site is adjacent to the Ash Landing Nature Reserve which I would love to spend more time exploring:

The site has a cosy little cafe tucked into the courtyard:

There is definitely a lot on offer for families to explore and do along the Western Shore of Windermere. You can even cycle or walk between the two properties if you fancy the 3 mile lakeshore path!