Yorkshire info, please

[doglover]

We're planning to visit Yorkshire next August (never been before) and wondered if any of you could suggest great places to see/stay. We're looking to stay on a farm/s.-c. cottage somewhere rural but accessible because we enjoy getting out and about. We definitely like an indoor swimming pool so we're able to swim whatever the weather. Our 2 dd are 7 & 6 and we all enjoy museums, the outdoors and fantastic scenery. York is a 'must' on our to-do list but any other suggestions gratefully received.
Many thanks.

[SpookyMadMummy]

have a look at this for York and they should help with other local areas too

[WriggleyWitchesJiggle]

Richmond is lovely - easy access to central dales, lovely countryside, swimming pool, beautiful river and park for bbqs and paddling, good play parks, historical market town. Close enough for day visits everywhere (York 1hr ish)

[Indith]

Ok, York is a very pretty place indeed but be warned in August it will be rammed full of tourists!

I love Helmsly, has a castle, beautiful restored walled gardens, lots of little shops, great pubs (family friendly with super food) and is perfectly placed for walks. It is also close to Riveaux abby and Riveaux terrace which both make for good sightseeing. Also close is Castle Howard which is National Trust (as is Riveaux Terrace) and consists of a huge house with great rooms, the house has people in costume in it too so pretty good for the kids and the grounds are amazing and have a little tourist train, playgrounds and peacocks so sure fire amusement factor! Oh and don't forget the North York Moors railway for a good old fashioned steam train ride. Grosmont is a great place to get on/off.

Then you have the Dales area, Redmire, Aysgarth etc. There are loads and loads of little places around. Aysgarth falls are a popular attraction (waterfalls, pretty) and around there is Hardraw force which is a huge long waterfall in the back yard of a pub in a tiny little village which basiclly consists of the pub and a great tea room. Just a mile across the fields you have a bigger market town. Thats all around the Wensleydale area. Leyburn is a possible place to stay around there. A great kids attraction around there is Forbidden Corner, a garden maze type thing with underground passages and caverns and all sorts of magical things! You get given a sort of rough plan with all the attractions and things to find on it and go and get hopelessly lost its great fun! Doors that only open one way so you can't get back out, some that lock so you think you are going back a way you have been before only to find you can no longer get through and have to find another way. Like I said, great fun!

Anyway, can't offer cottage suggestions, I tend to take a tent! But thats my favorite spots.

[WriggleyWitchesJiggle]

Go to richmond, you can visit leyburn (15 minutes) and Aysgarth (20 minutes) and the forbidden corner from there. Imo it is a better place to stay than Leyburn because there's more to do in the town itself.

[hulababy]

Where in Yorkshire are you thinking of? Near York?



For cottages, we have used Welcome Cottages a lot and always been very pleased. Might be worth a look.

[MorticiaRed]

Whitby is one of my favourite places on Earth. Yorkshire is wonderful.

[Lilymaid]

We went to Little Edstone Farm near Kirbymoorside on the edge of the North York Moors in August. (Sorry my internet is a bit dodgy, so can't give you a link, but it is advertised in English Country Cottages brochure). Convenient for Pickering, Helmsley, York, the moors (day in Dalby Forest - cycling etc recommended) and the coas as just off the Cottages had indoor swimming pool, sauna, play area, tennis court and games room. Lots of good foodie pubs as well as organic veg and eggs from the farm. There are several cottage groups like this in the Pickering area and it was a good base for touring (though a bit of a way from the Dales).

[Lilymaid]

Sorry - part of 3rd line should have read
...coast as cottages about a mile away from main A170.

[ScreamandYellowFeathers]

North Yorks might be good for you especially if you want to make the most out of York. For you to do the museums, city walls, cliffords tower, minster etc, it would take a couple of days at least.
I'd recommend you get there very first thing if you want to go round the Jorvick Centre, otherwise you'll queue for ages.

Agree Leyburn and Aysgarth are lovely.

[doglover]

Thanks everyone. We're looking at a couple of farm cottages, one just outside York and the other is near Pickering. We'll take all your comments on board!

[Labradora]

Before you decide ... I live in Harrogate and my sister came to stay from SA and I booked her into a lovely cottage based at a farm between Burnt Yates and Brimham Rocks. It was lovely. Harrogate has a fantastic pool/diving facilities, local train to York, Leeds etc. and just about everywhere wonderful is only an hour's drive away. I hear York has a fantastic swimming centre (waterworld?) Hope you have fun - Yorkshire is fabulous. Especially if you have a dog!

[joanna4]

Bronte parsonage at haworth, royal armouries at leeds, as someone else said whitby.
Knaresborough good for walks and a bit of magic at mother shiptons well for the kids,loads to do in york,media museum at bradford.
If you come up in august you might even catch an open air concert or two as well.

[NotAnOtter]

ilkley moor is fab and beautiful lido for hot days -dd's would LOVE it

[alibauble]

Second North York Moors Railway - it's a wonderful ride. Whitby is fantastic and has the best Fish and Chips in the world. Sorry I'm biaised as a Yorkshire lass who lives in Colorado. Walk around the walls in York, visit the Shambles and the Minster and the Railway Museum. And if you head further north Beamish Outdoor Museum (if that's what it's called now) used to be very good too and Durham's not too far either. My cousin lives near Helmsley and loves it there Pickering is a great market town too and Helmsley is definitely worth a visit. Haworth is wonderful as is the museum already mentioned on teh Bronte's.

[Gingerbear]

Settle to Carlisle Railway or North Yorks Moors Railway would be good for your DD's. Also looking for Fossils in Robin Hood's Bay, and the Castle and Sea Life Centre in Scarborough.

[mrsvern]

I have to add the beach at Filey is beautiful

[thehairybabysmum]

The forbidden corner (a unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created in a four acre garden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales) near Masham in the Dales is fab...your children are just the right ages for it i reckon...its really different and there are lots of grounds for taking a picnic...plus near to Riveaulx Abbey which is also nice for walks.

link..
\link{http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/theforbiddencorner/\forbidden corner

[thehairybabysmum]

ok..i cant do links, web address is...

www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/theforbiddencorner

[Lilymaid]

There is a fabulous museum in Pickering, the Beck Isle Museum that is well worth visiting (of course you will be visiting the Castle Museum in York). You should also visit ink{http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/metadot/index.plCastle Howard which should have plenty of activities for children in summer and has a superb setting.

[Lilymaid]

Argh - last link didn't work Castle Howard