Penrith & the surrounding area
Acorn Guest House is ideally situated in the historic, bustling market town of Penrith in the picturesque Eden Valley - with the scenic splendour of the Lake District to the West, the unspoilt Northern Pennines to the East, the old county of Westmorland to the South and the Scottish Borders to the North. We feel we are the perfect base from which to explore further afield with the very popular Lakes town of Keswick only 18 miles away, the unrivaled scenery of Lake Ullswater lies a mere 6 miles distant and Ambleside is a short drive of 22 miles via the famous and spectacular Kirkstone Pass.

The town of Penrith itself is a wonderful place to stroll around and explore with a host of specialist, traditional shops, fascinating alleyways and narrow streets dating back to the Border Reivers 'excursions' to the town. Penrith can also boast the spectacular ruins of Penrith Castle, historic houses with connections to Richard the 3rd, William Wordsworth and Bonnie Prince Charlie and in between sightseeing and shopping you can pause a while for refreshments in one of the many and varied excellent Cafes, Restaurants or Inns which the town has to offer. Penrith has a lot to offer it's visitors with many attractions and leisure pursuits available nearby. The town itself boasts a first class leisure centre while nearby Castle Park offers a great range of outdoor activities such as bowling, tennis, crazy golf and putting whilst there is an playground and paddling pool for the younger ones.


The surrounding area is well endowed with visitor attractions such as Eden Ostrich World, Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre and the Rheged Visitor Centre as well as a host of castles, historic houses and churches to visit. The Eden and Ullswater area is rich in crafts with potters, artists and sculptors studios dotted around in Penrith and many of the outlying villages.


Acorn Guest House is an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding area  with the very popular Lakes town of Keswick only 18 miles away, the unrivaled scenery of Lake Ullswater lies a mere 6 miles distant and Ambleside is a short drive of 22 miles via the famous and spectacular Kirkstone Pass. The Northern Pennines - an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - is only a short drive away using the A686 Hartside Pass route which was voted one of the top ten picturesque routes in the world in 2001. Slightly further afield Hadrian's Wall is also only a pleasant 45 minutes drive away as is the Solway Firth and West Cumbrian coastline


Walking - There are literally hundreds of walks in the area to suit all levels of walkers, from the imposing Helvellyn and High Street mountain ranges to more sedate riverside strolls or lakeside rambles. Both the Coast to Coast walk and the Pennine Way pass through Eden district.


Fishing
Penrith is an ideal base from which to fish the entire Eden Valley as well Lake Ullswater and the reservoirs of Thirlmere and Haweswater. There are also opportunities for coarse fishing nearby at Whins Pond and Blencarn fishing lake.

Cycling
There are a of myriad of bridleways and minor roads in the area for you to explore. Whether a weekend tootler or hardened MTB'er there are plenty of cycle routes in the area for you. The Coast to Coast cycle route (C2C) from Whitehaven to Sunderland passes our front door!


Pony Trekking
There are plenty of opportunities for pony trekking, especially around the Ullswater area, for both beginners and experienced riders alike.


Golf
Penrith boasts its own 18 hole course overlooking the town as well as a modern driving range and 9 hole course on the outskirts of town. Appleby and Keswick also have their own golf courses and welcome visiting players.


We shall of course be delighted to share our knowledge of this wonderful and scenic area with you and will offer tips and advice on places to see and things to do to ensure that your stay with us in as enjoyable as possible.