Explore My City today takes a trip to the UK with Jo from Kiddie Holidays
Yorkshire is the largest county in England and was showcased to the world in 2014 when a section of The Tour De France cycling race swept through. Millions of people all around the world got to see the immense scenery of the Yorkshire Dales, our long stretches of beaches and world-class cities like York and Leeds.
I’ve been lucky enough to live in Yorkshire for most of my life, and I love it! Today I’m going to share with you some of my top 5 places to visit in Yorkshire with children – a fabulous UK road trip destination and a wonderful cheap place to visit in the north of England.
1. A Day Out At The Seaside
A day out at the seaside is a must if you are visiting Yorkshire. We are lucky enough to have hundreds of miles of coastline, with quaint fishing villages, Victorian seaside towns and larger resorts, like Scarborough and Bridlington, dotted along the coast.
We had a fantastic day out in Whitby earlier in the year, and we arrived in style – on a steam train across the North Yorkshire Moors! The North Yorkshire Moors Railway departs from the market town of Pickering and chugs across the moors to Whitby where you can spend the day getting lost in the narrow, cobbled streets, visiting Whitby Abbey or just chilling on the beach.
Robin Hood’s Bay is just 4 miles from Whitby and is a small fishing village which is known for it’s smuggling past. It used to be a smuggling hotspot which was made even easier because of it’s tiny streets and hillside position, but nowadays, it’s the perfect place to go rock pooling.
The Old Coastguard’s station is also open to visitors, and there are daily tours around the village where you can learn more about Robin Hood’s Bay’s exciting past.
Another of our favourite days out at the seaside is Filey. This Victorian seaside town is less commercialised than its larger neighbours but has a 7-mile-long beach which is great for playing on, paddling in the sea or building sandcastles.
Explore family-friendly places to stay in Filey
2. Explore the city of York
York is one of our favourite days out, particularly in the summer when the city really comes alive. The city’s historic centre is a pleasure to amble around, and there are plenty of family-friendly restaurants, coffee shops and patisseries if you want to take a break – don’t miss afternoon tea at Betty’s Tea Room!
On hot days, nothing is better than hiring a boat from York Boat and cruising up the river past the Millennium Bridge through the outskirts of the city.
We love the Two Hoots Ice Cream boat, which moors up at various places along the river and sells exciting flavours of ice cream, such as peaches and cream and salted caramel.
The Museum Gardens is the perfect place for a picnic in York and is about 10 minute’s walk from the world-famous National Railway Museum – a must for train lovers. If you fancy stretching your legs, a walk around the City Walls is also a great way to get an idea of the scale of the city and admire the spectacular views.
Explore family-friendly places to stay in York
3. The Yorkshire Dales
You can’t come to Yorkshire without visiting the Yorkshire Dales. Our favourite place to visit in the Yorkshire Dales is Malham Cove. Malham Cove is a 260-metre cliff edge which you can climb to the top of to get spectacular views – even the kids will be impressed!
You can combine a trip to Malham Cove with a walk to Janet’s Foss waterfall – some brave people even go swimming in Janet’s Foss in the summer (not me!)
There are loads of family-friendly places to visit in the Yorkshire Dales, such as Thornton Hall Country Park where the kids can meet animals and go on tractor rides and Kilnsey Park where the kids can have a go at fishing.
Somewhere I really want to visit, but haven’t yet, is the Forbidden Corner near Richmond. I’ve heard so many great things about this unique attraction, but basically, it is a 4-acre garden with a labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises!
4. Dalby Forest
Dalby Forest is a Forestry Commission-run forest on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park. For just £8 per car, you can have a day out in the woods playing in the play areas, walking on the trails and cycling along the family-friendly trails.
There is a bike hire shop where you can get bikes if you don’t have your own. In the summer months, there is the Stick Man Games based on the popular character from the Julia Donaldson books, where you can take place in 8 stick-themed activity stations such as hopsticks and jumping sticks.
5. Bolton Abbey
Bolton Abbey is another fantastic day out for families visiting the Yorkshire Dales. It is the Yorkshire seat of the 12th Duke of Devonshire, and with over 30 000 acres of countryside and 80 miles of footpaths, there is something for everyone.
In the summer, there is a Welly Walk, an activity trail of obstacles for kids to climb under, over and through, and a pretty little river beach, the perfect spot for a bit of paddling. You can park at Bolton Abbey, or we park at Embasy train station and catch the Bolton Abbey & Embasy Steam Train to Bolton Abbey, from where it is about a mile walk to the actual abbey.
Explore further through the Yorkshire Dales
Author’s Bio
Jo is a Yorkshire-born and bred mum of two little boys, an occasional marathon runner and once RTW traveller. She blogs about holidays and days out for babies and toddlers at Kiddieholidays.
You might want to read next in the Explore my City series from the UK visiting the Peak District with kids, or how about visiting the Lake District with kids?
Did you catch the rest of our Explore My City Series?
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I love reading your posts, Keri! Yorkshire is stunning!