Coronavirus may have halted trick-or-treating, but spooky activities will be on offer across the county to help entertain families this half-term.

Castles and attractions across Cumbria are offering the chance to do everything from watching birds of prey swoop through the skies to becoming a mini pumpkin farmer.

Having provided Halloween events for more than 15 years, Sue Fitzpatrick, business development manager at Muncaster Castle, near Ravenglass, believes it adds to the castle’s appeal.

She said: “We have been doing our Halloween events since 2004. We try to go bigger and better each year.

“It is certainly something that regular customers come to as well as new visitors. There is something here for everyone regardless of what their age is.”

Castle owner Peter Frost-Pennington said: "Halloween is the most important time of the year for us [and] it’s a great family event,” he said.

“We love seeing kids, mums and dads coming out, and the number of people who dress up and enter into the spirit is brilliant.

“We’ve had to do it a bit differently this year, but we still hope to give people a good time with the show and displays.”

Everything from a toxic lake, a terrifying graveyard and an eery maze, to bears dressed in their finest costumes and more is on offer at the castle, with attractions to see both inside and outside the stunning building.

And of course, with the castle being one of the most haunted buildings in Britain, you may just have a ghostly encounter or two while wandering the grounds.

Brockhole on Windermere is also putting on its own “pumpkin festival”.

With 13 activities on offer, Ben Holland, marketing assistant at Brockhole, believes their “Pumpkin Passports” will ensure that their customers have a great experience.

He said: “We want to provide a proper Halloween experience.

"It is all our usual attractions with a Halloween twist, all condensed into one ticket.”

For more information about this and to purchase a Pumpkin Passport, visit www.brockhole.co.uk/.