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Acorn Bank
Delightful garden renowned for its herbs and fruit orchards
Temple Sowerby, near Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1SP
Important notice
The café will be closed from Tuesday 22 April to Thursday 1 May. There will be self-serve hot drinks available for donations.
Opening times for 23 April 2025
Asset Opening time Garden 10:30 - 17:00 Car park 10:30 - 17:00 Parkland 10:30 - 17:00 Café Closed Watermill Closed Last entry for the season is one hour before closing. Car park open as garden and estate. The National Trust café will have a reduced offer due to staffing shortages - the offer will include hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, scones and cakes. On days when the café is closed, there will be self-service hot drinks available.
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Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Adult (18+) £11.00 £10.00 Child (5-17) under 5s free £5.50 £5.00 Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children) £27.50 £25.00 1 adult, 2 children £16.50 £15.00 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.
- Bookshop
Second-hand book shop stocking a range of fiction and non-fiction titles.
- Café
The café currently has a reduced offer due to staffing shortages - the offer includes hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, scones and cakes, served 10:30am-4:30pm. On days when the café is closed, self-service hot drinks are available.
- Car park
- Cycle parking
Secure cycle rack located immediately beside, and visible from, staffed visitor welcome point
- Electric vehicle charging point
Removeable electric bike batteries can be recharged in the cafe
- Family friendly
- Picnic area
Wooden picnic benches located in the woods close to the visitor welcome point. Accessible picnic table located close to the woodland path behind the mansion
- Plant shop
The garden team offer a selection of plants raised in the garden for sale by donation. Located in the courtyard
- Toilet
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
- Changing Places
Place to Change available in the courtyard.
- Designated parking
- Drop-off point
- Induction loop
- Level access to food outlet
- Powered mobility vehicle available
One tramper available to hire free of charge.
- Space to Change
Place to change available in the courtyard.
- Steps/uneven terrain
Some grass paths and areas where the ground is uneven.
- 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 footpaths from Temple Sowerby (1.3km/27 mins), from Newbiggin (1.2km/25 mins), from Culgaith (3km/36 mins). Proximity to the Pennine Way. Plan your route.
- By train
The train stations at Appleby & Langwathby are on the scenic Settle to Carlisle route.
Appleby Train Station is an 8.75 mile (about an hour) bike ride.
Langwathby Train Station is a 6 mile bike ride.
Penrith Train Station connects to Carlisle and Glasgow to the North or Oxenholme, Lancaster and Preston to the South. Find out more about visiting car-free
- By bus
From Penrith, Appleby or Kirkby Stephen, take the 563 bus to Temple Sowerby.
From here follow the public footpath taking you down a quiet country lane and across historic parkland (1.3km/27 mins). The Fellrunner bus runs to Acorn Bank every Friday, and nearby villages of Culgaith and Newbiggin on other days. See Fellrunner bus timetables.
Find out more about visiting car-free
- Cycling
The Pennine Cycleway passes through nearby village Milburn. See the route.
It’s also a gentle bike ride from Penrith to Acorn Bank.
Cycle from Appleby train station.
6 mile (9.6 km) bike ride (about an hour) from Langwathby train station.
10 mile (16,1 km) bike ride (1h20m) from Penrith train station.
- 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. Acorn Bank’s Silent Space, part of the Silent Space initiative, is located underneath the Portuguese Quince tree at the centre of the Herb Garden. Enclosed by 400-year-old walls, it’s an intimate space with a tranquil atmosphere, full of fragrance.
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
The café currently has a reduced offer due to staffing shortages - the offer includes hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, scones and cakes. On days when the café is closed, self-service hot drinks are available.
Spotlight events
Step into spring with family fun and nature-themed events at Acorn Bank.
Easter Egg Hunt at Acorn Bank
This spring, treat the whole family to a world of adventure at Acorn Bank on an Easter trail.
Foraging Courses with Wild Food UK
Join Wild Food UK on the estate at Acorn Bank to learn about - and try your hand at - foraging.
Land Lines: The Border Readers
Staged in the atmospheric wood panelled drawing room at Acorn Bank, Land Lines is an immersive listening delight for anyone aged 11–100. The Border Readers will be telling dynamic short stories that have lots to say about life in our modern day countryside.
Events at Acorn Bank
Enjoy nature-themed activities and events all year round at Acorn Bank. Little ones can have fun exploring nature with a nature toolkit including spotter sheets, tally counters, binoculars and magnifying glasses, blackboards and coloured chalks, picnic blankets and welly boots.
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
National Trust café
The café is now open - serving hot drinks, light bites and cakes Monday-Sunday, 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 Bunkhouse
A rustic bunkhouse 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
Industrial Heritage Tours
Discover the echoes of Acorn Bank's hidden industrial past in the woods.
Event
Land Lines: Border Readers
Spend an evening with Border Readers for some intimate live readings.
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
Seasonal Meditation and Relaxation with Wild Soul
Join Wild Soul’s Alex Murgatroyd for an hour of meditative relaxation.
Event
Herb Walk with Medical Herbalist, Bel Charlesworth
Join Bel Charlesworth, medical herbalist, for a fascinating insight into the herbs growing at Acorn Bank.
Event
Using Medicinal Herbs at home
Discover how to make your own herbal remedies for everyday ailments with medical herbalist Bel Charlesworth.
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.
Our work
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Acorn Bank.
Article
Riverlands: Caring for Crowdundle Beck
Rivers are life forces. They’ve helped sustain ecosystems, cultures and communities for millennia, their quiet power steadily shaping everything from landscapes to place names. But many of our rivers are under threat from climate change, pollution, and human-made changes to the landscapes and waterways, which is why the National Trust launched Riverlands.
Project
Project
Climate change at Acorn Bank
Downstream of the watermill, the bankside of the historic Crowdundle Beck is being eroded by the river. It’s a stark reminder of the impacts of climate change and changing weather patterns. This rapid erosion is putting the stability of the driveway at risk, and as a result we need to move the driveway.
Donate to Acorn Bank
With your help, we can continue to care for Acorn Bank's unique nature and heritage.
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