Category Archives: Things to Do

A Spontaneous Day Out to Bothwell Castle

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After a quick shopping trip, we decided to make the most of the day and headed to Bothwell Castle for an impromptu adventure. It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon, and it was also our first castle visit of 2019!

Bothwell Castle was absolutely stunning, with its towering walls and rich history. We spent some time exploring the grounds and admiring the architecture. One fun highlight was trying to find the cannonball embedded in one of the walls. It’s surprisingly tricky to spot! After some hunting, we finally had to ask for help, as it’s definitely not the biggest cannonball we’ve ever seen. We’ll be sure to look for it again the next time we visit!

After our castle exploration, we decided to take a 2-hour woodland walk along the River Clyde to Blantyre. The trail was peaceful and scenic, a perfect way to unwind after a day of shopping.

Overall, it was a lovely and unexpected day out, and we’re already looking forward to our next visit to Bothwell Castle!

Return to York: Exploring Clifford Tower, the Army Museum & the National Railway Museum

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Today, we made our return to the beautiful city of York! We had originally planned to visit the Viking Museum, but we didn’t realise that you needed to book tickets in advance. So, a little change of plans, and we decided to finally check out Clifford Tower, which we had spotted during our visit last week but didn’t get a chance to explore.

Clifford Tower is the keep of York Castle, and it’s such an impressive building! The climb to the top is definitely worth it, as the views from the top are absolutely amazing – you can see all over the city from every angle. After taking in the breath-taking views, we had a lovely lunch at the bottom of the steps, enjoying some well-earned food after our mini adventure.

Just on the other side of the tower is the York Army Museum, so we popped in for a visit. It was a fantastic experience! The museum had some incredible relics on display, and the boys had an absolute blast trying on army uniforms – definitely a highlight for them. Afterward, we enjoyed a wander around and even treated ourselves to a cheeky McFlurry, which was just the perfect way to finish off our museum visit.

Next on the agenda was the National Railway Museum, which was where Alexander had really wanted to go. And boy, did he love it! All the boys had an incredible time, but Lewis especially couldn’t get enough of the trains. The museum is fantastic, featuring iconic trains, including those that Queen Victoria, Prince Edward, and Queen Mary had travelled on. It’s such an interesting place to visit, and what makes it even better is that it’s completely free to enter! You can make a donation, though, if you wish, but it’s an experience that doesn’t cost a penny to enjoy.

Overall, it was a wonderful day in York, filled with history, culture, and lots of fun for the boys. We would highly recommend the National Railway Museum to anyone with young kids – it’s definitely a must-see!

Total steps: 11,000

A Fun-Filled Day with Cricket, History, and Ice Cream

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The day started with the boys having a blast in the garden, and then we all gathered for a family game of cricket. Let’s just say I’m not the most skilled player, but I did manage to catch the ball and get David out—ha, victory for me! After our cricket fun, we headed to Jervaulx Abbey, which was only a mile away from the cottage. The Abbey is a beautiful ruin, and it was amazing to see the remaining fragments of the monastic buildings. It had such an impressive atmosphere, and we made sure to soak it all in.

Once we’d explored the Abbey, we found a perfect spot to have a picnic on the grounds. It was the ideal setting to relax and enjoy our lunch surrounded by history and beautiful scenery.

After our peaceful picnic, we headed to Brymor Ice Cream Parlour, which was just around the corner. The ice cream was made on-site, and let me tell you, it was incredibly tasty! I highly recommend the ginger ice cream—it was absolutely delicious. While there, we also visited the viewing platform to see the calves, and the boys had a great time playing in the outdoor and indoor play areas. It was a great stop and definitely one we’d recommend to everyone.

All in all, a perfect day spent with a mix of outdoor fun, history, and, of course, some of the best ice cream around!

A Lovely Day in Pateley Bridge

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Today’s adventure took us to Pateley Bridge, a charming little village nestled on the River Nidd, not far from Harrogate. We arrived around lunchtime and managed to snag some incredibly cheap parking at just £1.20 for 4 hours—what a bargain! The River was right there, so we grabbed our picnic lunch and a blanket, then headed off to find the perfect spot to relax. We stumbled upon a lovely area beside the Riverside Caravan Park, which turned out to be ideal for a peaceful lunch by the water.

After lunch, we went for a stroll along the river, and it was glorious! The scenery was beautiful, and we would have loved to walk further, but we hadn’t brought enough water with us and it was scorching hot, so we decided to save that for another day.

On our way back, we discovered a fantastic little park where the boys (and us) had a blast playing for a while. It helped burn off some energy (and left them a bit more tired—bonus!). We then wandered around the village and came across the Nidderdale Museum, which is housed in an old workhouse. The museum had loads of interesting local memorabilia, and for just £2 per adult, it was a bargain! We spent about an hour there, and I particularly enjoyed the coal mine tunnel exhibit. It was fascinating to see how life used to be in the area.

Before heading back to the cottage, we made a quick stop in Ripon for some shopping, and then the boys had even more fun playing in the garden back at the cottage.

All in all, a lovely day exploring a beautiful village, learning a bit of local history, and making some great memories!

A Day Trip to York

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We were up bright and early today for a day trip to York by train from Northallerton. This is a place I’ve always wanted to visit, and I was really looking forward to it. York is absolutely stunning, with its beautiful buildings and surroundings, but York Minster Cathedral definitely stole the show—its beauty is just incredible. Unfortunately, we didn’t go inside, as the boys weren’t in the mood to be quiet and calm, so we opted to walk around Dean Park Gardens instead.

From there, we tried to get our bearings, though I don’t think I ever quite figured out the layout of York (I was hopelessly lost most of the day!). We wandered down The Shambles, which reminded me of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter and the Ramblas in Barcelona. We couldn’t resist stopping by the Harry Potter shop, and Alexander was in absolute heaven there.

For lunch, we grabbed some sandwiches from Tesco and headed back to Dean Park for a picnic under a tree—half in the shade, half in the sun. It was the perfect spot to relax and enjoy some food.

After lunch, we explored a little more and came across a garden behind the museum that had an “edible wood,” with lots of plants that can either be eaten raw or cooked. It was such a cool discovery! We spent some time at the York Museum next, which kept us entertained for a few hours. The museum had a great collection of Roman and medieval artefacts, and the boys had a blast with the dressing-up station (David even joined in!). Lewis was especially excited to see the dinosaur display, and there was an excavation exhibit where the kids got to try their hand at digging—such a fun experience for them.

Afterward, we headed back out into the sunshine for a snack on the grass and a leisurely walk along the River Ouse. Of course, no day trip is complete without a sneaky McFlurry, which we grabbed along the way. We finished our visit with a McDonald’s dinner before heading back to the train station.

Travel Tip: We parked at Applegarth Long Stay Car Park, which was just a 10-minute walk from Northallerton Train Station. It was only £3.20 for the whole day, which was a great deal.

All in all, it was a fantastic day exploring the beautiful city of York, with a mix of history, sunshine, and a little bit of magic!

Lewis’ 4th Birthday Celebration

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Today was a special day—Lewis turned 4! Time really does fly by! We decided to take it easy in the morning and enjoy the day at our own pace. Lewis opened his presents first thing, and then the boys and David had a fun game of cricket in the garden. Meanwhile, I spent some time with Lewis doing one of the Toucan Boxes he received for his birthday. He made an awesome dinosaur mask and tail, and it was great fun seeing him get creative.

Afterwards, I grabbed my book and sat outside in the sunshine, reading while the kids explored. They all headed to the bottom of the garden, went over the fence, and set off on a little adventure into the field. It’s so lovely seeing them enjoy the outdoors.

For lunch, we headed to Masham to celebrate with some birthday food at The Bruce Arms. The food was absolutely delicious, especially the fish and chips with beer batter that David and I both had—so good! The pub had a fantastic play area at the bottom of the garden, which the boys had a blast playing in before and after lunch. After our meal, we enjoyed a peaceful walk along the River Ure, taking in the beautiful surroundings.

Back home, the fun continued with more playtime outside in the garden. To wrap up the day, we had some alfresco dining with pizza—perfect for a birthday celebration!

It was such a lovely, relaxed day celebrating our big boy turning 4. Here’s to many more adventures and fun moments ahead!

A Day of Surprises: Middleham Castle and Ripon

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Well, the day started with a bit of a disaster—whoops! We flooded the utility room with the washing machine, not once, but twice! Needless to say, I ended up hand-washing everything and feeling a little bit frustrated. Grrr. But after clearing up the mess, we were determined to make the most of the day.

Our next stop was Middleham Castle, and thankfully, the day got much better from there! The sun was shining, and we had an amazing time exploring the castle grounds. The castle turned out to be much bigger than we had first expected, and we all enjoyed wandering through the ruins. The boys especially loved clambering over the walls and finding little nooks and crannies to explore. It was the perfect spot for them to let off some steam, and the whole place had such a great atmosphere on that beautiful day. We even had a lovely lunch within the castle grounds, soaking in the views and the sunshine.

After that, we decided to head to Ripon, a charming town not too far away. We popped into the Ripon Cathedral, and it was absolutely breathtaking. While we were there, we were lucky enough to catch the choir practising, and I have to say, it gave me goosebumps. The sound was so beautiful and powerful, it felt like the whole place was alive with music. What an incredible experience.

Despite the chaos of the morning, it turned into a really special day—one full of history, beauty, and a bit of unexpected magic.

Exploring Leyburn and Bedale

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Today, we decided to take a trip to two charming local towns—Leyburn and Bedale. When we arrived, we quickly realised that we’d actually visited both towns during our trip to Yorkshire back in October last year! Still, they’re such quaint and beautiful little villages that it was a pleasure to return.

The boys had a great time playing in the park behind Bedale Museum. It’s a lovely spot for kids to run around and burn off some energy, with lots of green space and fun little areas to explore. After letting the boys enjoy the park, we continued our journey and made a brief stop at Thornton Steward Reservoir on our way home. It’s a lovely spot, but word of advice: don’t wear sandals! The area is covered in sheep poo, so next time, we’ll be sure to bring trainers!

It was a relaxed and enjoyable day, revisiting some familiar spots and discovering a few new ones along the way. We’ll definitely return to these towns, but with the proper footwear next time!