York in the Summer with children?

[MiniMan64]

Need some advice input from the great collective please!

My brother is getting married in Yorkshire this summer (just inland from Scarborough) which is lovely. Unfortunately we live in Plymouth which makes it a bit of a trip with a 6 and 9 year old in tow too. We’re looking at making a bit more of it and possibly doing 2/3 nights in York before and I’ve two questions…

1) The NRM and Jorvik are the two big obvious ones on the list to visit, is there anything else in the area worth a day visit there that would be worth us doing 3 nights instead of 2?

2) Draw an imaginary line from Plymouth on the South West to York in the North East, that’s your 7 hour drive, any good stop offs along the way that are worth a stop or stay over for families without making massive detours?

Over to you….

[Jamescrs]

I live in Leeds and visit York fairly reguarly and know the centre fairly well.

I'd advise booking tickets for the York Jorvik Centre as I always see substantial queues when walking past. You will walk straight into the NRM, it is worth a visit though.

York Minster is quite spectacular, you can pay to go inside which is worth a visit if you haven't been before.

There is York dungeon but not sure how suitable it is for young children, maybe look at the website.

You can hire a mini boat on the river which in good weather is very pleasant.

I'd say you could easily spend a day simply walking around the centre and taking in the old streets etc, the shambles is very popular with tourists but does get very crowded.

A walk around the city wall is very nice too, you can get on and off the wall at various points.

There are numerous ghost walks on evenings which are popular for tourists.

I'd say you could keep yourself busy for 3 days with all that.

[jimmy156]

Depending on the interests of the people going, the RSPB has a reserve at Bempton Cliffs, if it’s July or earlier in the summer you’ll see puffins along with loads of other sea birds. We did it in as a morning trip from York with our young lad. You can hire binoculars etc.

We also walked the city walls which was nice, did the NRM as mentioned and spent some time milling around the city.

Betties is worth it too for breakfast / lunch if you can bothered to queue with all the other tourists!

[Collectingbrass]

Dalby Forest is fantastic and probably just what the kids need after a 7 hour drive and a wedding

In terms of stop offs on the way have you done Cadbury World in Birmingham or the museum at Silverstone?

[dontlookdown]

Kids + summer + N Yorks = seaside, surely? Brid, Whitby, Filey possibly or even Scarbados itself. Robin Hood's bay for somewhere a little classier.

Edited by dontlookdown on Sunday 22 January 09:38

[rustyuk]

York is good for a day with kids and you will need to book tickets for the Jorvik attraction.

It was 6 years ago but the Railway Museum was more look but not touch from what I remember. They also had a queue system setup at the door and was trying to force people into paying for entry by embarrassing folks. If your kids are into trains they will enjoy it.

We booked the river trip too but the river bank is now so high you really can't see anything from the boat but I enjoyed just sitting and relaxing. A couple of young kids maybe not.

We have never been but if you are into animals and rides, Flamingo Land is not far away either.

If you go on a sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon it can be quite lively around town, especially Saturday with Stag and Hen Parties.

If it was me I'd be taking the kids to Filey, Scarborough or Robin Hoods Bay.

Edited by rustyuk on Sunday 22 January 09:36

[Pit Pony]

Collectingbrass said:

Dalby Forest is fantastic and probably just what the kids need after a 7 hour drive and a wedding

In terms of stop offs on the way have you done Cadbury World in Birmingham or the museum at Silverstone?

I've always loved stopping off at the Avoncroft museum of buildings. Just south of Birmingham, or a Picnic on the Lickey Hills. Although that was better when you had a panoramic view of "The Austin" factory tfat seemed about 2 miles long.
You could detour into the edge of the Derbyshire Dales, but what about Cannock Chase. Let the kids run about ?

[snuffy]

You could do the York Cat Trail:

https://www.yorkluckycats.co.uk/york-cat-trail/

You just wander round the city, trying to spot various cat sculptures on the building listed on their map. Me and the missus have done it and it's a good 2 hours or more.

One thing about the NRM is that one of the halls is currently closed, but the rest is still open, so even, it's still say 2 or 3 hours looking at chuffers.


The York Castle Museum is very good as well:

https://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/

You do have to book a ticket and they are very strict on entry times (but that was 2 years ago, so they were limiting numbers), so it may have changed now.

Edited by snuffy on Sunday 22 January 10:39

[snuffy]

rustyuk said:

It was 6 years ago but the Railway Museum was more look but not touch from what I remember. They also had a queue system setup at the door and was trying to force people into paying for entry by embarrassing folks. If your kids are into trains they will enjoy it.

I've been twice in the last 12 months, and there's none of that. You can book a ticket (doesn't cost anything) online before you go (I assume they started doing this during Covid, but now it's not needed), or just walk in and they ask you if you have booked. If no, they says "that's fine" and print you a ticket off. Then all they say is "you can make a donation if you want to". No pressure, no embarrassment, none of that.