Summer Days Out in Yorkshire
Scale Haw Force, Hebden Beck in the Yorkshire Dales
It’s that time of year again! School’s nearly out for Summer, and you have 6 weeks of time to fill….
But never fear! We have made you a list of brilliant days out in and around the Yorkshire Dales. So if you’re headed on holiday, or maybe you are lucky enough to live here, then read on for some of our TOP days out filled with outdoor adventure, farmyard fun and wonderful waterfalls!
Find the Fairies at Studfold Farm
📍 Lofthouse, Nidderdale (near Pateley Bridge)
💰 Adults: £7.50
Children/ Concessions: £6.50
Children Under 3: Free
Family Ticket (2 adults 2 kids) £25
Studfold Farm, is located in Lofthouse near Pateley Bridge in Nidderdale. Not only does it offer a caravan, campsite and glamping park, but during the late spring and summer, it offers a beautiful fairy trail around the grounds of the farm. The fairy houses, really are something else! Plus there is a recently redesigned play area, new to 2021, which is an absolute hit with the kids and (always a winner) Go-Karts! There is an on site cafe, which sells tasty picnic treats (and ice cream. obvs!) You can even order a picnic basket to be delivered to the play area at the half way point! A brilliant way to spend an afternoon! Oh, and because you’re with kids, you’ll be relieved to know, they also have toilet facilities.
Pre-Booking is required. Car Parking is on site.
Go Adventuring at How Stean Gorge
📍 Lofthouse, Nidderdale (Near Pateley Bridge)
💰 Dependant on the activity you do. But Gorge & Caves Attraction Admission costs £6-£7which will give you access to wander the gorge and cave. Pre-Booking is required, check out the website for more information and for booking.
But HOLD THE PHONE! Take a 10 minute walk up the road from Studfold Farm and you’ll find the outdoor activity centre of How Stean Gorge. It offers a massive selection of outdoor activities, such as abseiling, caving, gorge walking or the via ferrata (all activities must be pre-booked and some height restrictions apply). But if you simply fancy exploring the winding pathways of the gorge, checking out the Narnia themed sculptures and creeping through the legendary tunnel of Tom Taylor’s cave (which by the way has a top ghost story), then you can do that too! How Stean Gorge also has a play area, cafe and toilet facilities. There is an on site car park.
Now, I love an action packed day out, so I’m not going to leave it there, because, if you hop in the car and head into the middle of Lofthouse (less than 5 minutes away), you could have a lovely little wander to the waterfalls of the River Nidd! Check out the River Nidd walk description here!
Birchfield Ice Cream Farm
📍 Summerbridge, near Harrogate
💰 £6/ adult £5/ child Under 1’s are free.
We love Birchfield! And it is a top place to visit during the summer months! Early summer, there is fruit picking (at the time of writing, the farm still has strawberry and raspberry picking). However, if you miss the picking season, the farm also has a maize maze (open now - July 2021)! Not only that, but Birchfield has an outdoor play area, animals to visit, a little woodland trail and loads more. Oh yes, and it isn’t called Birchfield Ice Cream Farm for nothing! The ice cream is delicious! The farm also has a cafe serving light meals, and toilet facilities! Car Parking is also on site.
Scramble on Brimham Rocks
📍 Near Summerbridge, Harrogate
💰 Free for National Trust Members, £9 for the day otherwise
Just up the road from Birchfield, is Brimham Rocks (around a 10-15 minute drive). The National Trust site is free for National Trust members but is £9 for a full day of parking otherwise. The rocks at Brimham are spectacular, awesome for climbing and there is also a little cafe serving snacks and ice cream on site. There is an on-site car park, which can get busy at peak times, and particularly in sunny weather.
(If you want to find out more, check out our Instagram and Facebook Pages, which show our most recent visit (July 2021).
Settle Flowerpot Festival and The Caves
📍 Settle, The Yorkshire Dales
💰 £2/ sheet for the flowerpot trail, available from locations across Settle (see below) car parking is at a pay and display car park, so charges do apply, but otherwise a great low cost day out!
Settle is one of my favourite places to go! There is literally so much to do there, and during July and August, they hold the flowerpot festival. You can grab one of the trail sheets from Settle Tourist information, The Golden Lion, The Wholesome Bee, The House That Jack Built or Cottontail Crafts and they are £2 apiece!
There are 3 trails to choose from, each on is pushchair or wheelchair accessible (although there are some steep bits!) and there are pot creations EVERYWHERE!
You can spend as long as you like finding the creations, but about 2 hours is decent estimate.
So what else can you do to fill your time in Settle? Well from the centre of Settle you can also walk up to the caves of Attermire Scar, which are a proper awesome walk! Check out the Settle Caves walk description here!
Go Waterfall Hunting in Cray
📍 Buckden/ Cray, Upper Wharfedale, The Yorkshire Dales
💰 Just the cost of the pay and display car park at Buckden, which was £4.80 for a full day at the time of writing.
Well ok. ACTUALLY this walk starts in Buckden, Upper Wharfedale, but the walk takes you past so. Many. WATERFALLS! Most of which you can access, and maybe even have a splash!
Yes, it’s a walk, no, the kids’ reception to the use of the word ‘walk’ is usually met with a tirade of moaning! BUT call this an adventure to find as many paddle waterfalls as possible, then it already sounds ace (plus, there’s 3 pubs. Yes. 3!)
And it really is ace.
Find the full Cray Gill Waterfall walk description here!
Stockeld Park
📍 Stockeld Park, Wetherby, North Yorkshire
💰 £14.50 for an individual day pass (adults and kids) Under 2’s free and carer’s admission prices are available too (prices for dinosaur summer event and may vary for other events)
Now this one is on our list again for this Summer because the Kids LOVE it!
Basically, it’s a whole world of parks, mazes, things to climb on, bounce on, ride on, slide down, swing on and well….. everything else a kid could dream of.
So yeah. Last time I took the kids there they cried because I was making them leave.
It was closing time……
A definitely highly recommended destination for a Summer Trip!
Stockeld has a series of seasonal events, the Summer Season being dinosaur themed. Cafe’s and Restaurants are located in the park too, along with ample places for picnics. gift shops and toilet facilities. Check the website for booking information, as pre-booking well in advance is essential! It’s a popular place! There is also an on site car park.
Walk in Wellies at Bolton Abbey
📍 Bolton Abbey, Wharfedale the Yorkshire Dales
💰 £10 for a full day’s parking (£12.50 if booked on the day)
We do love a trip to Bolton Abbey.
Not only does a day out here offer perfectly placed picnic spots, a pirate ship play area (Summer only) and paddling (yes, all the P’s!) but during the Summer Season, you’ll find the Welly Walk in the grounds of the Bolton Abbey Estate.
Located on the walk between the Abbey Ruins and The Cavendish Pavillion the welly walk is a series of obstacles. Things to balance on, climb up, slide down and squeeze through!
A Cafe is located at the Cavendish Pavilion, which serves light bites, coffee, ice cream and cakes. Toilet facilities are located at the Riverside and Ruins car parks, along with gift shops.
Pre-booking is essential.
Thornton Hall Country Park
📍 Thornton in Craven, Near Skipton
💰 £12.95/ Child £9.95/ Adult £6.95/ Under 2 (booking fees apply)
We love a day out at the Farm!
And a day out at Thornton Hall Farm is just AWESOME! The guys at Thornton Hall are brilliant at putting on an event, and there are plenty on offer across the Summer Holidays!
It all kicks off with The Wizarding Week between the 26th July and 1st August (pictures below are from this event earlier this year. THESE TICKETS WERE GIFTED)
2nd - 8th August is the Great Farm Adventure
9th -15th August is Princess and Pirates week
16th - 22nd August is Slime Live
23rd - 27th August is Super Hero Unicorn Week
So some awesome themed activities, along with all the fun of the farm! Animals to feed, ride ons, play areas (inside and out) bouncing pilows and MUCH MORE! (some activities come at an additional cost, such as pony riding and the caterpillar ride)
There is an on site cafe serving family friendly light lunches, snacks and drinks. Toilet facilities are on site, as is parking.
Pair it up with our walk up Pinhaw Beacon!
Go Deeper Underground at Stump Cross Caverns
📍 Greenhow Hill, Yorkshire Dales National Park (near Grassington)
💰 Adult/ £11 Child £7 Under 2 (£2 with fairy trail)
We love a trip to the caves, and at Stump Cross Caverns, you get to really get to grips with the prehistoric past of the Yorkshire Dales.
The beautifully lit show cave system, buried deep under Greenhow Hill is brilliantly kid friendly, with its underground fairy trail, and handy information boards.
The cave also has it’s own private cinema, fabulous restaurant, with outdoor dining pod and super duper gift shop!
Pre booking is essential for Stump Cross Caverns. (Pictures taken on a previously gifted visit)
For a full day out, why not pair it up with a walk along Trollers Gill, which is just down the road. Complete with it’s own magical legend, it is the perfect pairing for a day focussed on the world beneath our feet.
Find the Trollers Gill route description here!
Hold the Fort at Middleham Castle
📍 Middleham near Leyburn, The Yorkshire Dales
💰 Free to English Heritage members - Otherwise: £6.90/ Adult £4.10/ Child £6.20 concession Family Tickets are available, tickets can be booked in advance or on the day (although higher charges will apply)
We do love a good ruin, and Middleham Castle is pretty spectacular!
The former home of Richard III (‘A Horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse’ dude…. ) Middleham Castle is an English Heritage Site located in….. well right in the centre of Middleham (race horse territory!)
The ruins are pretty awesome and remain pretty intact for a reyt old castle. And if you climb up the tower the views are STUNNING!
A little heads up, there are no toilets or parking at Middleham Castle, although you will find on street parking in Middleham itself.
Forbidden Corner
📍 The Tupgill Estate, Middleham near Leyburn, The Yorkshire Dales
💰 £13.50/ Adult £11.50/ Child 3 and Unders are free. Pre-Booking in advance is essential as this place is super popular and fills up fast! We might even see you there as we have another return trip booked!
Just up from Middleham on the Tupgill Estate is The Forbidden Corner.
This place has to be seen to be believed! It truly is the best weird place ever! Beginning life as a series of follies, this place is full of the bizarre. Creepy statues, underground labyrinths, torture equipment….. beautifully manicured gardens, water features and a burping monkey.
See?
Words really don’t do it justice, you just have to go see it to believe it, and see it you MUST!
Toilets and on site Cafe selling light lunches, ice cream and snacks. There is also a gift shop. Parking is on site.
Mother Shipton’s Cave and Knaresborough
📍 Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
💰 Mother Shipton’s Cave: School holidays £30/ car for parking (max 5 people) Or £10/ pedestrian. Under 3s are free. (This is cheaper during term time, check website for more details) This gives you a 2.5 hour time slot in the attraction.
Knaresborough is an ace place to visit, and is home to Mother Shipton’s cave. The legendary reclusive character was renowned for being able to foretell the future and you can go and visit the cave where she lived.
There is also the petrifying well, which literally is a waterfall that turns everything to stone, you can go and see all the famous items turned to stone in the little museum on site. There is a woodland trail and an adventure playground and the theme for the summer holidays is Through the Rabbit Hole
Turn it into a full day out, and pay a visit to Knaresborough Castle (to access the ruins there is an additional charge, but there is plenty to do if you don’t fancy paying extra), there is a paddling pool in the grounds surrounding the castle, or you can go boating on the river. You can also take a wander up the river Nidd too if you fancy a walk to top it all off!
(Boat trips are an additional cost. Toilet facilities are available at the pay and display car park on the river or at Mother Shipton’s Cave for paying customers)
Be an Ilkley Day Tripper
📍 Ilkley, West Yorkshire
💰 Dependant on how much you do! Clip and Climb £14/ climber (younger children need to be supervised by an adult) Ilkley Cinema £12.20/ adult £8.60/ child £10.80 for concessions, large family and teen discount available.
There is SO much going on in Ilkley, plenty to fill a day! Some of our favourite things to do? Head to Middleton Woods for a walk, and a paddle in The River Wharfe, then head over the the park. Why not have some lunch at Outside the Box Cafe, then maybe head for some Clip and Climb fun (pre-booking required), or maybe an afternoon at Ilkley Cinema?
If you fancy a bit more outside time, then head up to Ilkley Tarn to feed the ducks and maybe take a trip up to the historic White Wells!
LOADS of fun to be had!
Click here for the Ilkley Tarn Walk, or here for our Middleton Woods Walk.
(Parking in Ilkley is either metered, or there is a pay and display car park in the middle of town. Parking for Ilkley Tarn at Darwin Gardens is free, and is a short walk into the town from there - be warned it is a downhill/ uphill trek! There are toilets in the centre of Ilkley or down at Riverside Gardens and Ilkley has a train station so you can get there by train too!)
Take a Step Back in Time on Shipley Glen Tramway
📍 Shipley/ Saltaire, West Yorkshire
💰 Adult £2.50, Concessions £1.50, Kids £1 Under 5s are free. Great for a low cost day out! THE TRAMWAY IS ONLY OPEN ON SUNDAYS 12pm-4pm AT THE TIME OF WRITING. Follow their Facebook page for updates.
Shipley Glen Tramway, is a bit of a blast from the past. Originally installed in the 19th Century to transport tourists to the fun fair that used to be in place at Shipley Glen, the tramway, takes you up and down the slope. You could also explore Shipley Glen at the top before taking the tram back down to Robert’s Park at the Bottom!
The world heritage site of Saltaire is just over the river, and is a less than 10 minute walk.
The diner at Salt’s Mill is a brilliant place to grab a bite to eat and the walk along the canal from Robert’s Park is pushchair friendly. There is also a cafe serving drinks and light bites at Robert’s Park.
Find out more about Roberts Park and Saltaire here!
(Parking is at Titus Salt School - school holidays/ weekends, or on street)
All prices and information is correct at the time of writing. Please check individual website for up to date information!
There is so much more fun to be had during the Summer in Yorkshire!
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