Kids Winter Walks in Yorkshire
Ice, ice baby… (Dob Park Lodge - outside Otley)
Winter Walking. It’s muddy. It’s cold. It’s regularly wet.
If there’s a season that produces the most walking whingeing. It’s winter. I feel it. My two reluctant explorers are in full vocal flow during the cold hard months.
But. We’re in January. We’re in the bleak mid-winter. The days are long and the twinkle of Christmas is fading into distant memory….
(I’m really selling winter walking to you aren’t I?!)
Well no. I’m not. Because….. I HATE WALKING IN WINTER (unless it’s snowy obvs… I’m not a monster!)
There, I said it.
Does it stop me though?! No.
Is it because I’m an idiot who is a glutton for punishment? No.
No, it’s because walking makes me feel good, it makes the kids feel good (they just don’t realise it) and in January, the month of a MILLION days, we all need to feel a little bit of good.
So, to winter walk, you need to be packed with a full arsenal of whinge busting walks. Walks that really, really deliver on the fun factor. Walks where there is literally no chance of getting bored….
Enter my Top 5 kid friendly walks that give you proper bang for your buck. All of them in and around the glorious Yorkshire Dales!
The spectacular Trow Gill on the way up to Gaping Gill.
Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, Ingleborough Cave, Trow Gil and Gaping Gill: Clapham, The Yorkshire Dales
Now a walk with a name THAT long is BOUND to be packed full of exciting things right?! Well you’d be RIGHT!
This one isn’t messing around. Oh no.
What you will get is…. To start with, a mega waterfall, then a nature trail through the glorious Ingleborough Estate with a grotto, coin tree, lake, and plenty of nature! Then you will reach Ingleborough Cave|**, which is a MEGA cave. I genuinely love this place, it’s a stunning show cave, with glistening pools, waterfalls and underground streams. Pure magic. At this point, you can either head back or you can continue on through the jaw dropping Trow Gill, then onto Gaping Gill, which is where Fell Beck disappears into a super massive black hole just under Ingleborough (love a Muse reference). To see the spray rising up from the subterranean waterfall is a proper spectacle!
Oh wait. I’m not going to lie, to get all the way to Gaping Gill and back is 10km. It’s a fairly lengthy one. BUT you will find a top play area at Clapham, right at the end (and beginning) of the walk!
You will find ALL the gory walk details here: Gaping Gill Walk
**Ingleborough Cave is only open on weekends during the winter, check the website for opening times, but at the time of writing it is 10am-3pm.
Do be aware that this is a high level walk, and so check the forecast before you go. Ingleborough is regularly snow capped at this time of year! There is a small charge for entering the Estate Nature trail and then tickets must also be purchased for entry into the cave, but pre-booking is not required.
The remains of the Greenhow Lead mines. Pretty cool right?!
Greenhow Lead Mines, Coldstones Cut and Toft Gate Lime Kiln
Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned ruin eh?! Well chuck in a massive piece of modern art and a park for good measure and you have a pretty exciting walk right?!
This is an ace 5-6km walk. Located in Nidderdale, the route takes you on the Greenhow Lead Mine Trail, to the ruins of the old mines, where you can peer down abandoned mine shafts and explore the ruins of the old mine buildings, it takes you past the little play area in Greenhow, (nothing a quick swing won’t help) then finishes at the Coldstones Cut and Toft Gate Lime Kiln!
All accompanied by stunning views across Nidderdale.
You can find all the walk details here: Greenhow Lead Mine Walk
And this one is free! Even the parking!
Exploring next to Victoria Cave in Settle
The Settle Caves
Don’t let its name fool you, this one is packed full of exciting caves, just begging to be explored! It’ll take you to Victoria Cave, which is a mahoosive cave on Attermire Scar, just above Settle. But not only that, there’s also Jubilee Cave and some teeny tiny caves to explore along the way. So make sure you grab your head torch and become a REAL explorer!
If you’re still feeling energetic after the 8km hike, you can explore the Castlebergh Plantation just above Settle, and then head to the little play park in Settle on your way back to the car park.
Find all the walk details for the Settle Caves here: The Settle Caves
This is a high level walk, so check out the forecast before heading out. Settle is no stranger to snow!
The old bridge over the River Wharfe at Ilkley
Ilkley Riverside and Middleton Woods
Ah, this is a classic and is one we do time and time again, just because there is SO much going on!
What?! Stone throwing (or paddling if you’re feeling brave!) woodland wandering, stick dens, a park, ducks to feed and all on the doorstep of Ilkley town where you can find so much else to do!
Find the details of this 4km walk here: Ilkley Riverside Walk
The Kettlewell Stepping Stones in Summer
Richmond Fosse, Easby Abbey and The Drummer Boy Stone
Finish on a high right?! This one is a BRILLIANT walk just packed full of exciting things to see and do! Beginning at the spectacular Richmond Fosse, which is a set of falls in the River Swale, it continues to the English Heritage ruins of Easby Abbey, then back past the Drummer Boy Stone (you can read more about the legend surrounding that stone in the walk details).
Oh yes. And it finishes at the Park! You can also walk into the beautiful town of Richmond from the start and end of this walk too.
Find the walk details here: Easby Abbey Walk
Winter walks!
There you have it! Some brilliant jam packed walks that will help to fight the winter walking whinge!