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Acorn Bank
Delightful garden renowned for its herbs and fruit orchards
Temple Sowerby, near Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1SP
Opening times for 20 September 2024
Asset Opening time Garden 10:30 - 17:00 Car park 10:30 - 17:00 Parkland 10:30 - 17:00 Café 10:30 - 16:00 Watermill Closed The café is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. From Thursday - Monday, it is open 10:30am-4pm, and last orders for lunch time menu are at 3pm.
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Ticket type Gift aid Standard Adult £9.00 Child £4.50 Family £22.50 1 adult, 2 children £13.50 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
Assistance dogs only
Assistance dogs only in the gardens. Dogs allowed in the courtyard and on the estate.
Car park
Bookshop
Second-hand book shop stocking a range of fiction and non-fiction titles.
Toilet
Café
Cafe in the courtyard. Open Thursday-Monday (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). 10:30-4pm, last orders for lunch time menu at 3pm.
Drop-off point at garden entrance. Separate mobility parking, 50 yards. Adapted toilet in garden courtyard. Tramper available to hire free of charge. Hearing loop available at welcome point. Some accessible paths in garden but mainly rough. Woodland pathways are uneven and undulating. Map of accessible route in grounds available below.
Accessible toilet
Powered mobility vehicle available
One tramper available to hire free of charge.
Designated parking
Space to Change
Place to change available in the courtyard.
Drop-off point
Steps/uneven terrain
Some grass paths and areas where the ground is uneven.
Induction loop
By road
1 mile from A66. Take J40 on M6 towards Brough, then follow brown signs.
Parking: Free for National Trust members. Follow signs to main car park, gates locked at 5pm.
On foot
public footpath from Temple Sowerby
By train
Langwathby 5 miles; Penrith 6 miles
By bus
The Penrith to Appleby bus service, number 563, stops at Temple Sowerby each day except Sunday. Take public footpath from Temple Sowerby to Acorn Bank, about 1 mile. No service Saturdays or Sundays.
Car-free
Travel the green way and help us preserve this amazing place. Visit Acorn Bank by bus, train or bicycle and receive a seasonal gift when you show your bus/train ticket or cycle helmet. Plan your car-free visit with Good Journey
Planning your visit
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Access at Acorn Bank
We want to make sure that Acorn Bank is accessible for all visitors. The historic house, gardens and estate we care for present challenges in creating access for all, but we are taking steps to ensure that as many people as possible are able to experience Acorn Bank’s history and beauty. Here you’ll find information about access across the different areas of Acorn Bank and how to make the most of your visit.
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Visiting Acorn Bank with your dog
Acorn Bank is a one pawprint rated place. Find out the best places to stretch your legs here, as well as the things to be aware of when you visit.
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Group bookings at Acorn Bank
With the varied gardens, watermill, pop-up café and surrounding woodlands and countryside estate to explore, there's something for everyone to enjoy at Acorn Bank. Find out all you need to know about arranging a group visit with us today.
Highlights
Garden
Walled gardens shelter a medicinal herb garden, herbaceous borders, lily pond and traditional orchards.
Estate
Woodland walks reveal a hidden gypsum mine, working watermill and wildlife, including red squirrels, otters and rare birds.
House and second-hand bookshop
The house is partially closed, but the grand Entrance Hall and second-hand bookshop are open on the ground floor.
Watermill
Wander along the Crowdundle Beck to the partially restored watermill.
Café
Local providers, Lakeland Coffee, run a cafe in the courtyard selling hot drinks, light bites and freshly baked cakes. Last orders for the cafe's lunch time menu are at 3pm, and drinks and cakes are served until 4pm. The cafe is open Thursday - Monday.
Spotlight events
There's an exciting array of events this harvest season - foraging courses, apple tasting weekends and an Apple ID Day.
Foraging Workshops
Join Wild Food UK on Acorn Bank's beautiful estate and learn about all things foraging.
Nature Connection Walks
Embark on a slow, immersive and sensory seasonal nature experience in the beautiful woods at Acorn Bank with Wild Soul's Alex Murgatroyd.
Apple Tasting Weekends
Taste the rainbow of flavours from Acorn Bank's orchard.
Things to see and do
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Things to do in the garden at Acorn Bank
Potter around the fascinating garden at Acorn Bank. The garden boasts over 275 varieties of herbs as well as hot beds, vegetable patches and traditional fruit orchards.
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Exploring the wider estate and watermill at Acorn Bank
Explore the 180 acres of woodland and parkland at Acorn Bank to visit the historic watermill, get closer to nature, or go on a geocaching adventure.
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Family-friendly things to do at Acorn Bank
Discover what family-friendly activities are on offer at Acorn Bank in Cumbria, from geocaching around the parkland to newt spotting in the Sunken Garden. Try a self-guided nature trail and use rubbing plaques to discover the flora and fauna of Acorn Bank's walled garden and woodland.
Top trails
Trail
Acorn Bank to Temple Sowerby walk
Enjoy a walk around this peaceful backwater to discover Acorn Bank’s surprising industrial heritage and wildlife by the river.
Eating and shopping
Pop-up cafe
Local mobile coffee business, Lakeland Coffee, are serving hot and cold drinks, light bites, paninis, snacks and freshly baked cakes in the courtyard, Thursday to Monday, 10.30am-4pm.
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The second-hand bookshop at Acorn Bank
Browse the second-hand bookshop at Acorn Bank, and discover exciting reads, DVDs, CDs and videogames to take home with you after your visit.
Places to stay
Millbeck Towers
An impressive 18th-century carding mill, now a large six-bedroom escape perfect for family get-togethers.
Watendlath Bothy
A rustic bothy for those who want to spend more time exploring the fells, tarns and peaks of the Lake District.
Holeslack Farmhouse
Contemporary and rustic combine in this Grade II listed farmhouse on the Sizergh estate.
Upcoming events
Event
Nature Connection Walks with Wild Soul
Embark on a slow, immersive and sensory seasonal nature experience in the beautiful woods at Acorn Bank.
Event
Neurodiverse Nature Connection Walks with Wild Soul
Enjoy the beauty and serenity of Acorn Bank Garden at the end of the day, when other visitors have left.
Event
Orchard Tours
Hear the stories of some of the trees in Acorn Bank’s significant apple collection.
Event
Industrial Heritage Tours
Discover the echoes of Acorn Bank's hidden industrial past in the woods.
Event
Apple Identification Day
Do you have a Bloody Ploughman or a Keswick Codlin growing in your garden? Bring your mystery apples to Acorn Bank to find out.
Event
Juicing the Harvest
Watch the impressive hydropress in action when the garden team juice some of their apple and pear harvest for you to taste.
About Acorn Bank
Best known for its comprehensive herb collection and traditional fruit orchards, Acorn Bank is a tranquil haven with a fascinating industrial past. Today the walled gardens shelter a medicinal herb garden, herbaceous borders, lily-filled pond and traditional orchards carpeted with Edwardian daffodils in spring.
Wander along the Crowdundle Beck to the partially restored watermill, enjoying wildlife in the woods on the way, and discover more about the history of gypsum mining on the estate. Enjoy the views across the Eden Valley to the Lake District from the magnificent backdrop of the sandstone house.
History
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History of Acorn Bank
Discover how Acorn Bank's purpose has changed throughout the centuries, since it was first owned by the Knights Templar in the 13th century.
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Restoring the second waterwheel
90 years after it was last used, the volunteer team at Acorn Bank Watermill have been hard at work preparing to restore the second waterwheel.
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Acorn Bank.