Are you planning a visit to the Forbidden Corner?

Now Updated for 2024

Well then you have come to the right place! The Forbidden Corner near Leyburn in Wensleydale is consistently placed at the top of my two’s list of their absolute favourite places to go in the Yorkshire Dales. They LOVE it here and so we have been many, many times. So many times in fact, that I have compiled a guide of all the things we think you need to know before you visit the Forbidden Corner with the kids.

And in our humble opinion, this place should be on all of your must visit lists!

How did the Forbidden Corner begin?

I think we’ll start at the beginning shall we? I’ll start by telling you a little bit about this bizarre place and how on earth it came about!

I think the term ‘snowball effect’ is probably appropriate to use in these circumstances…

The Forbidden Corner started in 1979 with trees. Just a cluster of trees planted to shelter the stables on the Tupgill Estate, then later in 1989, an idea was formed by Colin Armstrong (Estate Owner) and his mate Malcolm Tempest (Architect) that a viewing tower might be nice. After all, the views across Coverdale are BEAUTIFUL.

To put it all in a nutshell, that viewing tower necessitated the need for a wall to shelter the enclosed gardens from the wind. Whilst they were building that wall, somebody thought a grotto might be great idea. That grotto turned in a gigantic and very expensive muddy hole, which was later lined with concrete…

And from that muddy hole emerged a series of tunnels, labyrinths, towers, follies and chambers. The Forbidden Corner. It opened to the public in 1994.

Slight little blip in the history of the Forbidden Corner. They never applied for planning permission! OOOOPS! (See? Snowball effect). But thankfully, it was saved by the people and after campaigning for it to remain open in 2000 the Forbidden Corner was officially LEGIT! (Source: Forbidden Corner)

And thank goodness it was!

What is the Forbidden Corner?

I have genuinely posted SO many times about this place over on our Instagram and Facebook pages and I will forever remain unable to properly do this place justice in words.

The Forbidden Corner needs to be SEEN to be believed.

To put it in plain English, you’ll find mazes, sculptures, tunnels, gardens, water play, follies, towers…. and you’ll also find burping dragons, demons, gigantic mice, terrifying crypts, frog fountains, a golden goose, a talking horse and a graveyard. Oh and did I mention the giant and the adventure playground?

See? Try explaining that.

Just rest assured, this place is bizarre, surprising and quite frankly out of this world.

If you’ve ever experienced a place like this before? I need to know where that is, because I need to go see it!

Your guide to visiting the Forbidden Corner

The kids have literally grown up with the Forbidden Corner in their lives (lucky!) and only on our most recent visit do I feel like we have actually seen all there is to offer here! To explore the Forbidden Corner you will be walking around, getting lost, finding places you didn’t realise were there, going back to the places you thought you’d already seen then realise there’s another door to a place you have never seen before…. You get the idea.

So what are our top tips?

What age is the Forbidden Corner suitable for?

The website will tell you it’s suitable for all ages but in my opinion, the kids really started enjoying it from school age (ages 4/5 upwards). We did go once when my youngest was 18 months and the oldest was 3 and we really didn’t see half of it. A lot of it was just too much of an ask for them to walk it (you will end up walking for miles around and around) and most of the good bits are not accessible for pushchairs.

Be aware that there are areas that are frightening for younger children, the Mausoleum/Crypt in particular. You can visit without seeing these parts though.

What about babies?

You could take a baby with an older sibling (or with just you for that matter) in a carrier, but be warned, there are some tight squeezes in places, so you might struggle with a large back carrier or even a smaller sling in places.

What about the teenagers?

Will the teenagers love it? I think so!

I love it… and I’m a teenager at heart (particularly in the morning, does that count?!)

But for a perspective from a Mum of ACTUAL teens, check out Colette from Going on an Adventure Blog’s review for a second opinion!

Is it suitable for just adults?

That totally depends on whatever floats your boat!

The attraction is predominantly aimed at kids, but I guess if you are a fan of the bizarre and macabre there’s nothing to stop you visiting as an adult. Be aware that the attraction can get extremely busy at weekends and during the school holidays!

How long will I spend at the Forbidden Corner?

HOURS. On the website it says allow 2 hours, but I would say allow a full afternoon or morning. Once you’ve visited one place, the kids are bound to want to go back and do it again and again!

Then you have to factor in that you WILL get lost, that the kids will want to play on the adventure playground at the end and you’ll probably spend time eating at the very least snacks (and ice cream!)

Is there food available?

Yes! There is a cafe and food kiosks too that serve food ranging from pizzas and pies to sandwiches, snacks and ice cream. The food kiosk serves drinks and ice cream near the frog fountain.

NEW For 2024. There have been a few changes in the last year in the food department. Now, you can find a hot dog and snack stand in the centre of the labyrinth, which is the hub of the attraction, as well as a brand new for 2024 pizzeria and bar. So LOADS of options now!

If you fancy something fancier, why not try out the Saddle Rooms restaurant? Located on the Tupgill Estate right next door to the entrance to the Forbidden Corner, the food is delish (and we can say that from personal experience!) UPDATE 2024: Still excellent! We most recently ate there on a Sunday and had a fabulous roast dinner.

Can I bring my own picnic?

Yes, but you aren’t allowed to consume your own food inside the attraction. There are picnic areas outside though.

Is the Forbidden Corner scary?

Ok. I really don’t want to give too much away here, so I’m going to be vague.

For the most part, no. Certainly, you will be dealing with elements of fantasy and the macabre and they have a few surprises up their sleeve, but for the most part you will not be dealing with anything too sinister (or realistic).

It’s recommended that younger kids stay out of the Mausoleum/ Crypt. It’s dark and there are deliberately creepy things down there. Think along the lines of a ghost house or ghost train type scenario. That said, my two went in ages 5 and 7. You know your own kids and the mausoleum is a place that is designed to be scary.

Similarly, the bit I find the most creepy is the lair of the mice which concludes with a loud animatronic show. It isn’t scary as such, but the loud sounds might frighten younger kids.

Let’s face it, the whole place is themed around the creepy and the bizarre so you’ve got to expect some scarier surprises!

How narrow are the narrow bits and how ‘crawly’ are the tunnels?

If you are claustrophobic, there will be parts of this attraction that you will not enjoy. It’s a fact.

But that said, you can choose to avoid those areas. Most of the narrow areas are found inside the labyrinth area, which I’d describe as being the main hub of the attraction so if you’re nervous, steer clear of that bit.

How accessible is the Forbidden Corner?

In terms of pushchair, pram or wheelchair accessibility, I’d say it’s extremely limited. Whilst parts of the attraction will be fine for a pushchair or wheelchair, due to the nature of the place most parts will be inaccessible and so large parts of the attraction will have to be missed out.

How far will I have to walk?

This does depend entirely on how much of the Forbidden Corner you want to explore, but you will be walking for some miles, particularly if you go back and revisit sections again and again because the kids love them (or you get lost!)

There are loads of steps, some narrow and steep, there are tunnels (some of them crawling space) there is also uneven ground. So factor in those climbs too.

That said, there are plenty of places to sit down for a breather from all the crazy!

Is the Forbidden Corner outdoors or indoors?

This is predominantly an outdoors attraction with some indoor elements, so dress for the weather! Shoes wise, trainers will do fine unless there’s been a load of rain, then maybe wellies might be better. You’d still do fine with trainers though, as most paths are well surfaced and not too muddy. I guess it’ll depend on how much rain there’s been!

You will be walking a lot, so make sure whatever you put on your feet is comfy! Man alive, you don’t want moaning!

So what should we bring?

Take a spare change of clothes. Like a full change, even shoes, socks and pants if you plan on doing something afterwards. There are LOTS of surprise water fountains hidden around that really intend to get you wet, which of course the kids will love.

And so they will get wet. Intentionally soaked. So take spare clothes!

What else do I need to know?

We’ve covered a lot, but obviously there’s more!

Toilets

Yes, there are toilets all around the attraction. Problem is, the ones INSIDE the grounds are not that easy to find and even then, because of the nature of the place, you’re never quite sure if they’re telling the truth! (Staff Toilet… ahem)

NEW for 2024: There has been an additional toilet added next to the Labyrinth area. Which is a GREAT addition! Nothing worse than being caught short in a place where you have no idea how to get out!

But we’d still definitely recommend going before getting in! Because you don’t want to be finding your way out of the labyrinth with a toilet emergency!

Car Park

There is of course a car park and it is FREE. There’s also an overflow car park for peak times. We have never struggled to park no matter how busy the attraction gets.

So does it get busy?

Yes. Yes, it does. No two ways about it, during peak times (Summer holidays and weekends) the attraction will be very, very busy. Worst case scenario you have to queue to get up the narrow staircases and more inaccessible areas. The worst culprit for this is the central hub of the labyrinth and steps up to the viewing towers. That said, once you are out of that area, there is plenty of space to spread out.

How much does it cost?

Well that depends on when you come! Check out the Forbidden Corner website for more details, but at the time of writing £15.84 per adult £14.04 per child (there are peak charges that apply, so up to £17.50 per adult and £15.60/ child)

Is it open all year round?

Nope. It closes over the winter months and opens at the beginning of April.

Is there a trail around the Forbidden Corner?

Yes! There has been an app created for the Forbidden Corner to compliment the old brass rubbing trail.

It is a VR trail that you need to hook up to the Wifi to experience. In parts it was a little clunky when we tried it last Summer (Sept 2022), but hopefully the kinks will have been ironed out for the 2023 season.

Would you visit the Forbidden Corner?

Let us know in the comments below!

If you like the look of the Forbidden Corner why not try…

Checking out our Yorkshire Dales Events page to find out if there’s something special happening?

Checking out our Visit with Kids Guides to find out what else there is in the area.

Checking out our Wensleydale Walks page to see what’s nearby!