Our beautiful back up site for Kirkby Lonsdale hot air balloon rides is right beside the magnificent Devil’s Bridge and its stunning surrounding countryside.

Our big red balloon takes flight from a picturesque field at Woodlands Devil’s Bridge camping and caravan park, before heading up, up and away over some of the North West’s most spectacular landscapes.

Devils’ Bridge itself has some fabulous folklore about its construction, which stretches back to the 12th or 13th century, and from which it gets its name.

This beautiful part of the south Lake District is the perfect spot to enjoy an unforgettable Kirkby Lonsdale hot air balloon ride, whether you fly from our main launch site or our back up.

Directions

From the M6, exit at Junction 36 and follow the A65, signposted Kirkby Lonsdale. After six miles, you will cross the River Lune over a large bridge, Take the first left immediately after the bridge, signposted Casterton and Barbon, and after 100 yards, park in one of the car parking areas on either your left or right hand side. Your balloon crew will meet you there.
Toilets are available just across the bridge, for which you will need a 20p coin to use.

Beautiful Graythwaite Hall is one of our spectacular back-up launch sites for Lake District hot air balloon rides.

Set in seven acres of stunning grounds, the gardens are open to the public from early April until August.

The entire Graythwaite Estate spans across 5,000 beautiful acres of the English Lake District, including the woodlands in which author Beatrix Potter set her story ‘The Fairy Caravan’.

And the home of one of her most famous characters, gentleman frog Jeremy Fisher, was Esthwaite Hall, which sits within the Graythwaite Estate.

Enjoy a truly unforgettable flying experience with our once-in-a-lifetime Lake District hot air balloon rides.

Directions

From the M6, exit at Junction 36 and follow the A590, signposted Kendal and Barrow. After three miles, exit left to continue on the A590 towards Barrow and travel a further 12 miles. As you enter Newby Bridge, take the first exit at the roundabout then the first right hand turn after approximately quarter of a mile. Cross the river and you will see The Swan hotel. Follow the road around to the left and continue for about 3.5 miles. Pass the first entrance to Graythwaite Hall on the left and continue to the second entrance, opposite a right hand turn up ahead.
Follow the signs for the car park, where you will be met by your balloon crew.
Toilets are available just across the courtyard from the car park.

The Lake District National Park is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK and with a Virgin Balloon Flight, you can watch the stunning scenery stretch for miles all around you.

Launching from the award winning Rampsbeck Country House Hotel in Ullswater, this site is truly one of our best.

Magnificently set in 18 acres of the national park with a quarter of a mile of lake frontage, the hotel is overlooked by fells and mountains.

The building itself dates back to the 1700s and provides a romantic backdrop as you soar into the sky.

With a hot air balloon flight over the heart of the Lake District, you’ll likely see Aira Force Waterfall, and wind permitting, the famous Helvellyn mountain, the third highest peak in England.

Towards Penrith, you may find yourself soaring over Long Meg and Her Daughters, a Bronze Age stone circle.

The stones probably date from around 1500 BC and the circle has a diameter of about 350 feet.

You may also catch a glimpse of Gamelands stone circle, one of the largest in Cumbria, although all its stones have now tumbled.

To the south, you may see Haweswater Reservoir, one of the largest lakes at four miles long and half a mile wide. Eerily all the farms and houses of the villages of Mardale and Mesand were pulled down to build the reservoir and now, when the water is low, people go back to see what is left.

After you have finished taking in the breathtaking scenery, why not take time to enjoy afternoon tea at the Rampsbeck Country House Hotel or try some of their Cumbrian Cheeses, specially selected to represent the county.

Directions

The hotel is situated on the A592 on the west side of Ullswater and south of Pooley Bridge.

Please park on the grass parking area and meet the crew in the field by the lake, please closing gates behind you.

Join us for an unforgettable hot air balloon ride over Cumbria from Brougham, a small hamlet just two miles south of Penrith. Taking to the skies from near Brougham Castle, you are guaranteed to witness the true beauty of the Lake District from a bird’s eye view. The 13th century castle sits in the picturesque crossing of the River Eamont promising beautiful sights from the very beginning of your balloon flight.

Floating skywards in your hot air balloon, you may spot one of several National Trust gardens in the area; Acorn Bank Garden or Watermill are a picturesque spot from the sky. Wind-willing, you may also enjoy a unique perspective of Ullswater or Aira Force which has been described as ‘a tranquil haven of towering peaks, serene waters and undulating hills’. Catching a glimpse of the impressive 65ft drop of the tumbling waterfall would be a perfect picture opportunity on your airborne experience day over the Lake District national park.

Below the basket of your hot air balloon you’ll find endless sights of rolling hills and crisp greenery, combined with intriguing monuments steeped in history. Nearby also sits Penrith Castle, Penrith Museum and the bustling Rheged Centre.

After landing and toasting your Cumbrian balloon flight with Champagne, you’ll be taken back to Brougham Castle, where you can explore a complex of passages and spiral stairways. Considered to be one of the most impressive castles in the county; the grounds of this picture perfect English Heritage site offer an ideal setting for a picnic, perfect for a family day out.

Directions

2 miles south-east of Penrith, on the A66-B6262. Brougham Castle is located north of Fremington, off the A66. For those of you with sat nav, please use CA10 2AA.

Please park in the lay-by opposite Brougham Castle main entrance. Once you have parked your car, please walk 100 yards by foot to the field opposite the farm house where the crew will be assembling the balloon.

This working hill farm nestled in the village of Troutbeck, just a stone’s throw from Grasmere, Ambleside and Windermere, is the perfect starting point for a hot air balloon ride over the Lake District National Park.

In the basket you’ll rise skywards, soaking up the lavish greenery of the beautiful Cumbrian countryside filled by exquisite scenery, lakeshores and fell tops.

The nearest town is the attractive Keswick on the shores of Derwentwater, framed by peaks and crags the market town was first recorded in the 13th century as Kesewic, meaning ‘farm where cheese is made’. Still now, an abundance of farmers gather at the Saturday market in front of Moot Hall to sell their goods, maybe you’ll see them from the sky.

A north westerly wind will take you towards the Ullswater valley, where lies the second biggest lake in the district. Ullswater’s ribbon like form stretches for nearly nine miles and is home to the famous Ullswater Steamers, an award winning environmental accredited lake cruise attraction who have been in operation for over 150 years.

Whichever way the wind blows The Lakes look just as enchanting, their sheer beauty was enough to inspire the writings of 19th Century poet William Wordsworth, how will they inspire you?

Directions

From the A66 to Keswick, you will reach the Troutbeck Hotel T-junction, take the A5091 signposted Ullswater, after 100 yards turn right for Gill Head.

When arriving at the site passengers should drive through the rear entrance turning left at the farm past the toilet block, you’ll find the ballooning crew in the field. Please arrive and leave considerately and quietly.

PASSENGER DISCOUNTS:
Our passengers can see the famous lakes from another perspective too with this 10% discount voucher for lake cruises with the award winning & environmentally accredited Ullswater ‘Steamers’.

You can also experience the beauty of the Lake District on Lakeland’s oldest, longest and undoubtedly most scenic steam railway and get a FREE tea or filter coffee at both ends of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway line.