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North Yorkshire the home of the Forbidden Corner, York, Williams Den, Fountains Abbey and Niddfest.  Here are 5 Things to do in North Yorkshire with kids.

*NB 5 Things to do in North Yorkshire Post created in collaboration with Ingrid Flute’s Yorkshire Holiday Cottages

Forbidden Corner | Yorkshire Dales – 5 Things to do in North Yorkshire

Built as a private folly, which then opened to the public. It’s set in woodland overlooking the stunning Yorkshire Dales, and there are amazing views from a number of places. It’s difficult to explain what its like without giving too much away as the beauty of the Forbidden Corner is the element of surprise.  You might walk through a giant dragon’s mouth, and trigger an extremely loud burp? You might walk into a wood and be met with a stone plaque telling you there were three possible paths, with only one being the right one. The wrong path might involve dead ends and spurting water, before ending up right back where you started.

You can read our full review here, or you can just book a ticket (recommended as there are only a certain number available every day). Family Ticket is £42.

If you fancy the Forbidden Corner you could always stay in Gallowa’s Cottage. Gallowa’s Cottage is conveniently located in the heart of the popular racing town of Middleham (which is less than 5 miles from The Forbidden Corner), famous for its Richard III Castle and horse racing connections.  The property has been refurbished to a high standard and is perfect for families and furry friends!

Take a Trip to York

York has so many wonderful attractions for children that it is worth a visit to North Yorkshire region on its own. There is the National Railway Museum, the Viking Museum, ghost tours, river tours etc etc. Your kids will most definitely not be bored if you spend most of your trip in the York area itself.

You can read a post about 10 Things to do in York with Kids here but trust us it’s worth it!

Why not stay at York Villa so you are only a 20 minute walk away!

Williams Den – 5 Things to do in North Yorkshire

Williams Den is the new £3m adventure park – which is designed to give kids an open space to climb trees, paddle, build dens and explore with their friends.  It opened in North Cave in early July 2017.  With sandpits, little rivers and water play there’s no way kids can escape a visit without getting wet and dirty!  We have a review of Williams Den here and there is also a Vlog here from another family so you can get a good understanding of what it’s like.  If you visit, take a full change of clothes for all of them, just in case!

Fountains Abbey

Fountains Abbey‘s (a National Trust property) remains are the most complete Cistercian abbey ruins in the country. There is plenty of space to play and climb and picnic. There are regular activities and trails throughout the school breaks too. Cat, from Here Come The Hoopers, says: “The park was a big success with lots of wooden bits to climb, zip wires and den building section.  It was a bit damp but they went off anyway and were happy enough” You can read more on Fountains Abbey here …read more

or of you fancy visiting, why not stay in Pateley Bridge at Humbug Cottage (great name!), which is also close to Brinham Rocks another fab place for kids and free parking for National Trust members too.

Niddfest

If you time your visit to North Yorkshire right, you could visit when Niddfest is on. Niddfest set in Pateley Bridge (so Humbug Cottage would be perfect) itself is a festival of literary events for both adults and children and is very much aimed at bringing together the local communities and surrounding areas.

This is a festival aimed at nature lovers and avid readers with events including morning bird walks, talks from local farmers and walks through Nidderdales meadows. Dates for 2018 were not known at the time of writing but keep an eye on the website.

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