Category Archives: River Walks

A Spontaneous Day Out to Bothwell Castle

Posted on by
Reply

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!

A Lovely Day in Pateley Bridge

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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!