This is an advert for September 2024 and based on a visit in September 2024. Some photos in this post were taken on previous visits. As always, please do check with venues direct for the most up-to-date information as this can change.
25 Family Days Out in North Yorkshire
Ad - this post contains affiliate links.
We love North Yorkshire and I reckon I've probably visited over 100 times throughout my life. It's not too far from where we live in Northumberland so achievable as a day trip yet it feels far enough away to be an adventure and full day out. In this post,
We love North Yorkshire and I reckon I've probably visited over 100 times throughout my life. It's not too far from where we live in Northumberland so achievable as a day trip yet it feels far enough away to be an adventure and full day out. In this post,
I've put together some of our favourite days out in North Yorkshire over the years and added a few recommendations at the bottom of this post from other bloggers too. Let me know if you have any to add to the list.
Day Trips to Whitby & Scarborough - Ideas for things to do
I have not been paid or asked to share this post, I just know a lot of you are always on the lookout for days out by public transport and thought this was worth a share.
We absolutely love visiting both Whitby and Scarborough and think it is brilliant news that Go North East have launched a daily bus service from the North East. This service allows you to spend 7 hours in Whitby or 6 hours in Scarborough which is more than enough time to enjoy a few attractions.
Why Scarborough will always have a special place in my heart
Scarborough in North Yorkshire will always have a special place in my heart. It is where family holidays were spent as a child, where I first went on holiday with my friends without any grown ups, where we enjoyed a girls mini-break when I was pregnant with Harry and where I think I have probably spent 5-6 holidays with our own children over the years.
I think I was around one year old in this photograph probably enjoying my first holiday in Scarborough (pictured with grandma)
CRINGE at this photograph in Peasholm park in the early 90's - shellsuits and socks and sandals??
Our first 'girls' holiday in Scarborough when we were 17.
A mini break with the girls in Scarborough before I had my first baby.
A trip to Scarborough is very nostalgic for me. One of our favourite things to do is visit Peasholm park where you can feed the squirrels, watch Naval Warfare and hire a boat.
Of course you can't visit Scarborough without taking part in a donkey ride or two on the wonderful beaches.
We've taken part in a range of boat trips over the years but think the pirate ship is our favourite.
We always have to take a little trip on the North Bay miniature railway too which travels to the Sealife Centre.
Scarborough has it's very own tardis and we can never resist a photograph.
Finally, Scarborough is home to one of the best farm parks we have been to (Playdale farm park) and I love these photographs from a few years ago,
Adults Go Free Deal (Alton Towers & Other Merlin Attractions)
AD - the accommodation links in this post are affiliate links
This fantastic deal is back. Purchase a promotional pack of Kelloggs cereal and you can buy a child ticket to a Merlin attraction and an adult will go free. A quick and easy way to save money on a day out.
Scarborough - North Bay Attractions for children
During our stay at Ready Camp in Scalby near Scarborough we had plenty of opportunity to explore the area and all that it has to offer. I am a bit of a Scarborough veteran and have visited well over 20 times and really love the town. For those who have never visited though, there are two bays - North Bay (also known as the quiet end) and South Bay (the busy end). You can walk along the sea front between the two or catch an open top bus which is much more fun (£6 for a family day pass). Today I'm going to focus on North Bay which is definitely my favourite.
We stayed at Ready Camp near Scarborough North Bay. Prices start at £25 per night. Click here for details and to book.
You could walk to North Bay from our base at the camping and caravan club (it is just under a few miles) or park in the Peasholm park or Sealife Centre car park.
We've been to the Sealife Centre a fair few times, but having just visited Sealife Centre Blackpool, we didn't visit on this trip. The Sealife Centre sits at the top end of North Bay and is one of the better ones we've been to. Check out this review from Helpful Mum if you're interested.
North Bay beach is lined with gorgeous beach huts (available to hire here)
Stunning views of Scarborough Castle from North Bay
North Bay Beach (there is a shop/cafe and chargeable loo's on the promenade)
Beach Life
You can't visit Scarborough North Bay without a little trip on the miniature railway. It takes you from the Sealife Centre to Peasholm park - you could easily walk this in 20 minutes at a childs pace but the train is much more fun! Tickets currently cost £3.50 return for adults and £2.70 return for children. No need to pre-book. More info here- www.nbr.org.uk
Toot toot
The North Bay is home to a fantastic water chute which was recently listed in the top ten vintage seaside attractions by the Guardian. Tickets are only £2.20 for two turns. Click here for opening times and further info. You'll also find boat hire, water walkers and a sky trail in the immediate vicinity so lots going on.
The beach doesn't start until you are just past the Sealife Centre however just below the sealife centre you will find some fantastic rock pools which are the perfect place to hunt for crabs and explore. The Old Scalby Mills pub is a nice and traditional place to stop for a drink, lunch or ice cream too (and they have an outdoor terrace).
A huge attraction in the North Bay is the outdoor amphitheatre. It is the largest outdoor theatre in Europe and hosts top concerts throughout the year with Tom Jones and UB40 playing recently. We timed our trip to Scarborough perfectly as there were free shows available as part of the festival of fun. We watched American Wrestling which was lots of fun for the whole family and the atmosphere was fantastic. I can't believe it was free! For more information about upcoming events visit here:- www.scarboroughopenairtheatre.com
The jewel on the North Bay's crown has to be Peasholm Park. It always confuses my children that there's no actual play park here but I think it's one of the most beautiful parks in the country. There are often free concerts from the bandstand in the centre of the lake and you can't miss the famous Naval warfare show where boats battle it out on the lake. There's a cafe, boats to hire, mini golf, a wishing well and lots of lovely walks. You will probably spot a few friendly squirrels too.
I hope you can see why I love Scarborough's North Bay so much. It is full of traditional seaside fun and there is always lots to do. Some of the activities are chargeable but there is also plenty to do for free too. It only takes around 2 hours to drive to Scarborough from the North East so if you aren't staying over, a day trip is easily manageable too.
Meadowside Cottage | A weekend in Burniston & Scarborough with friends
I love Scarborough - it's one of the best family days out in North Yorkshire and it is somewhere I've visited probably over 25 times in my lifetime. There's always so much to do for kids and I especially love the North Bay area. Scarborough holds so many happy memories for me and part of the reason I love it so much is the nostalgia and memories of visiting here for holidays as a child myself. We've stayed on numerous occasions with our own children and loved staying at the Haven sites when they were little before moving onto glamping at a camping and caravanning site a few years ago. We are super lucky that this year our friends The Hoopers invited us along to their secret Scarborough retreat in Burniston this March. Burniston is a lovely Yorkshire village just a few miles out of Scarborough (if you've visited Scarborough before, you'll have probably driven through it).
Meadowside Cottage in Burniston technically sleeps 7 (shhhh don't tell anyone we sneaked a couple of extra kids in with us). The accommodation is detached, modern and very spacious with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The cottage is pet-friendly and I think it's perfect for two groups of friends or a multi-generational family to use as a base for exploring North Yorkshire.
Meadowside Cottage has three loos so there were no embarrassing having to wait for someone to finish and cross your leg moments......
Upstairs is beautiful too. Steve and I were given the master suite with it's own bathroom. This felt nice and private and was perfect for staying with another family as it felt like we had our own little area. The beds were super comfortable and we all had a really good night's sleep. As well as the master suite there are two additional double rooms plus a single bedroom (with a bed and cot). All are furnished to a very high standard and feel modern, bright and very comfortable. There's also family bathroom with bath upstairs - definitely a real home from home with lots of welcoming touches.
I took it upon myself to organise the Saturday entertainment. It's tricky trying to find something for a group of 9 to enjoy that won't be over in minutes or cost a fortune. In the end, I decided we'd try a trasure trail. Both our family and the Hoopers have tried these before and they're a great way to get out and explore somewhere new. I ordered the North Bay Treasure Trail for £6.99. This was a 2.5-3 hour trail so the perfect length to fill in a morning.
The treasure trail takes you on a self guided tour of your chosen location with clues and riddles to solve along the way. It engaged everyone and was a good way to see parts of Scarborough we hadn't explored before. You can complete your treasure trail at your own pace too so you can stop and play at parks or have a bite to eat along the way too.
Our trail took us up to Scarborough Castle which is somewhere I'd not visited before. The kids (and dads) worked really well as a team to solve the clues and we were rewarded with some fantastic views of the North and South Bay.
The trail led us down the cliffside path onto the promenade with a quick stop off at a park or two first.....
Alan introduced us to our first ever Geocache down by the beach and we added our initials to the little piece of paper....
But we were dying for a coffee at this point and the kids needed a wee! So we stopped off at Oasis Cafe on the North Bay Seafront. Well what a mistake this was! As soon as the staff laid eyes on us their first words were 'you can't put tables together' - that was even before any kind of hello or welcome (which never arrived). Then they made us the worst cup of coffee I've had a long time - it was a cheap and instant job and not good. Cat asked for hers to be made a little stronger to be met with a very cold reception. The kids weren't much happier and said that their cakes tasted of fish and chips (lol!!). Then Cat spilt her hot coffee all over herself and rather than asking if she was ok/trying to help ect.... the staff simply complained that they'd have to mop the floor now. It was honestly the worst service I've received in a while and we were not made to feel welcome here. We walked past a couple of other cafes a bit further up and wished we'd tried there. You live and learn though and we'll know to avoid Oasis Cafe in the future!
The walk along North Bay is fab as you get to see lots of brightly coloured beach huts and you can see a few of the animals in the Sealife centre too - the kids managed to catch glimpse of a seal. There are a couple of crazy golf courses here if you fancy a game too. Our treasure trail finished at the miniature train station and we were going to catch the train back to Peasholm Park but just missed it and it was 30 minutes until another so we walked back instead (much to the annoyance of the kids). We solved the treasure trail whilst walking 17000 steps on Saturday and certainly earned our fish and chips!
Once the trail had ended, we drove into the town centre and headed to the Seafood Social. I'd wanted to visit since reading about this place over on Here Come the Hoopers and had could not wait to try it for myself.
This old market hall is still a traditional market downstairs with butchers, bakers and greengrocers selling their wares alongside market traders. There was also live music playing on the day of our visit which gave the place a fantastic vibe. Upstairs you'll find some boutique style shops and a couple of food traders. It was the perfect spot for lunch and the staff were all really helpful and friendly. We had a mix of burgers, seafood, freakshakes and wine and all really enjoyed it. This venue is a fab choice for a group lunch as everyone just orders their own so there's no having to work out how to split the bill or remember everyone's order.
A trip to the seaside would't be the same without a play on the 2p machines and a trip to the beach. Despite cold weather conditions, the kids enjoyed an ice cream too. There's no stopping them!
It's fair to say we were worn out after our Scarborough adventure but back at the cottage the kids just kept on going. They organised an egg hunt throughout the house and spent the evening playing hide and seek. We put together a bit of a cheeseboard for supper and Steve kept us topped up with Margaritas and Prosecco coctails.
We'd brought our bluetooth speaker along and didn't get to bed until late that night. I was seriously worried about my head the next day.......
My fears were realised and I woke up with a bad head. That will teach me for having a good night! I forced myself to drink a cup of coffee though and Cat made us all some bacon sandwiches and thankfully I was cured and was lucky to escape a full-blown hangover. Phew! After a lazy morning drinking coffee and recovering from the night before, we decided to walk to a local pub for Sunday lunch. The Three Jolly Sailors was our number one choice but was unfortunately fully booked so we opted for The Three Oaks instead. Both of these pubs (plus a local shop and bus stop) are within easy walking distance of the cottage and ideal if you fancy leaving the car and treating yourself to a tipple.
The Oak Wheel is very traditional in style and I think if you pictured a Yorkshire pub in your head, this would be it. We were really impressed with the children's meals - they were very reasonably priced, homecooked and a big portion too. I liked how they put a huge bowl of chips in the middle of the kids' table for them to share. There were activity sheets which kept the kids entertained until their food arrived. I would say that service was a little slow here, we were there for the pub opening at 12noon and it wasn't busy. It took around 50 minutes for our food to arrive which did not please Jack and caused him to go into hangry mode as you can see below!
The Sunday lunch (£9.75) was lovely and all homecooked but my beef was far too tough which was a shame. We would go back to The Oak Wheel but perhaps for a more relaxed evening meal when the kids weren't starving. I'd be tempted to get organised and book The Three Jolly Sailors for Sunday lunch next time though as the car park was packed as we walked past which is always a good sign.
After lunch it was time to say our goodbyes as we had a party to get to back in Newcastle. The Hoopers stayed on for the rest of the day and made the most of their break though and we definitely could have stayed a little longer.
We really enjoyed our little weekend break in Scarborough and it's a lovely place to holiday with friends or family. I really enjoyed this trip as I discovered a few new places I'd not visited before. Let me know if you have any plans to visit Scarborough this year or if I've inspired you to visit any of the places I've mentioned.
Where we stayed | Meadowside Cottage Burniston
Meadowside Cottage in Burniston technically sleeps 7 (shhhh don't tell anyone we sneaked a couple of extra kids in with us). The accommodation is detached, modern and very spacious with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The cottage is pet-friendly and I think it's perfect for two groups of friends or a multi-generational family to use as a base for exploring North Yorkshire.
Burniston is just a couple of hours drive across the North Yorkshire Moors from our home in Northumberland. We left at around 4:45pm on Friday evening and arrived at around 7pm. Now although Cat did ask if I was going to take photos as we arrived, like any pro-blogger should, I was far too laissez-faire about the whole thing and thought to myself, I'll just take them later. I was more concerned about cracking open the wine and getting some food in the oven! It turns out that later never happened....when you share a house with 5 kids, the house is never going to be tidy and I missed my golden opportunity! So some of the following photos are from The Hoopers who are far more organised than I am......
Meadowside is a real home from home. The house is beautifully decorated (better than my own in fact) but still nice and welcoming. The Living Room is large with three comfy sofas, a fire and a selection of board games for you to enjoy. There was more than enough room for us all to hang out in here.
The kitchen is again on the large side with a side utility room too. It had everything we needed for our weekend stay and looks out onto the back garden which is enclosed and perfect for kids to play safely or pets.
A separate dining area was a godsend to us as we could use the table to put our food out buffet-style and get everyone to help themselves which was much easier when cooking in groups. The kids sat at the table too which created much less mess.
Meadowside Cottage has three loos so there were no embarrassing having to wait for someone to finish and cross your leg moments......
Upstairs is beautiful too. Steve and I were given the master suite with it's own bathroom. This felt nice and private and was perfect for staying with another family as it felt like we had our own little area. The beds were super comfortable and we all had a really good night's sleep. As well as the master suite there are two additional double rooms plus a single bedroom (with a bed and cot). All are furnished to a very high standard and feel modern, bright and very comfortable. There's also family bathroom with bath upstairs - definitely a real home from home with lots of welcoming touches.
What it's like sharing accommodation with friends
It's weird how blogging works out. I only met the Hoopers a few years ago when I stumbled upon their Here Come the Hoopers site and I invited them to join our North East Bloggers Facebook group. It flashed up on my timehop while we were away that it was exactly two years ago that we first started chatting online. Over those two years we've been out together on numerous occasions both for blog and non-blogging related events and it's fair to say we're now firm friends. We have kids of around the same age and the same interests and it's very easy for us to get on.
Our kids knew each other but not as well as us grown-ups and I did worry about how they'd get on staying together for a full weekend or if it would be awkward at all. It turns out I had nothing to worry about though. The kids got on like a house on fire - there's a mini games room in the cottage with an X Box Kinect and board games and along with a love of YouTube and Music.ly, the kids bonded really well and played upstairs and outside together for most of the time. Us grown-ups got on well too - after previously spending just a couple of hours at a time with each other, the ultimate friendship test is probably a weekend away but it was all good and Brownie-leader Cat fell into her natural role of organiser and prepared most of our food whilst Steve kept us all topped up with cocktails all night. We really had a great time and would highly recommend weekend breaks with your friends. We talked about anything and everything and have already made plans to go away together again next month (but sans children this time). A huge thanks to the Hoopers for inviting us to stay with them for the weekend - we loved our little staycation!
Saturday - Treasure trails, Seafood Social & dodgy coffee
I took it upon myself to organise the Saturday entertainment. It's tricky trying to find something for a group of 9 to enjoy that won't be over in minutes or cost a fortune. In the end, I decided we'd try a trasure trail. Both our family and the Hoopers have tried these before and they're a great way to get out and explore somewhere new. I ordered the North Bay Treasure Trail for £6.99. This was a 2.5-3 hour trail so the perfect length to fill in a morning.
The treasure trail takes you on a self guided tour of your chosen location with clues and riddles to solve along the way. It engaged everyone and was a good way to see parts of Scarborough we hadn't explored before. You can complete your treasure trail at your own pace too so you can stop and play at parks or have a bite to eat along the way too.
Our trail took us up to Scarborough Castle which is somewhere I'd not visited before. The kids (and dads) worked really well as a team to solve the clues and we were rewarded with some fantastic views of the North and South Bay.
The trail led us down the cliffside path onto the promenade with a quick stop off at a park or two first.....
Alan introduced us to our first ever Geocache down by the beach and we added our initials to the little piece of paper....
But we were dying for a coffee at this point and the kids needed a wee! So we stopped off at Oasis Cafe on the North Bay Seafront. Well what a mistake this was! As soon as the staff laid eyes on us their first words were 'you can't put tables together' - that was even before any kind of hello or welcome (which never arrived). Then they made us the worst cup of coffee I've had a long time - it was a cheap and instant job and not good. Cat asked for hers to be made a little stronger to be met with a very cold reception. The kids weren't much happier and said that their cakes tasted of fish and chips (lol!!). Then Cat spilt her hot coffee all over herself and rather than asking if she was ok/trying to help ect.... the staff simply complained that they'd have to mop the floor now. It was honestly the worst service I've received in a while and we were not made to feel welcome here. We walked past a couple of other cafes a bit further up and wished we'd tried there. You live and learn though and we'll know to avoid Oasis Cafe in the future!
The walk along North Bay is fab as you get to see lots of brightly coloured beach huts and you can see a few of the animals in the Sealife centre too - the kids managed to catch glimpse of a seal. There are a couple of crazy golf courses here if you fancy a game too. Our treasure trail finished at the miniature train station and we were going to catch the train back to Peasholm Park but just missed it and it was 30 minutes until another so we walked back instead (much to the annoyance of the kids). We solved the treasure trail whilst walking 17000 steps on Saturday and certainly earned our fish and chips!
Once the trail had ended, we drove into the town centre and headed to the Seafood Social. I'd wanted to visit since reading about this place over on Here Come the Hoopers and had could not wait to try it for myself.
This old market hall is still a traditional market downstairs with butchers, bakers and greengrocers selling their wares alongside market traders. There was also live music playing on the day of our visit which gave the place a fantastic vibe. Upstairs you'll find some boutique style shops and a couple of food traders. It was the perfect spot for lunch and the staff were all really helpful and friendly. We had a mix of burgers, seafood, freakshakes and wine and all really enjoyed it. This venue is a fab choice for a group lunch as everyone just orders their own so there's no having to work out how to split the bill or remember everyone's order.
A trip to the seaside would't be the same without a play on the 2p machines and a trip to the beach. Despite cold weather conditions, the kids enjoyed an ice cream too. There's no stopping them!
It's fair to say we were worn out after our Scarborough adventure but back at the cottage the kids just kept on going. They organised an egg hunt throughout the house and spent the evening playing hide and seek. We put together a bit of a cheeseboard for supper and Steve kept us topped up with Margaritas and Prosecco coctails.
We'd brought our bluetooth speaker along and didn't get to bed until late that night. I was seriously worried about my head the next day.......
Sunday - Sunday Lunch at in Burniston
My fears were realised and I woke up with a bad head. That will teach me for having a good night! I forced myself to drink a cup of coffee though and Cat made us all some bacon sandwiches and thankfully I was cured and was lucky to escape a full-blown hangover. Phew! After a lazy morning drinking coffee and recovering from the night before, we decided to walk to a local pub for Sunday lunch. The Three Jolly Sailors was our number one choice but was unfortunately fully booked so we opted for The Three Oaks instead. Both of these pubs (plus a local shop and bus stop) are within easy walking distance of the cottage and ideal if you fancy leaving the car and treating yourself to a tipple.
The Oak Wheel is very traditional in style and I think if you pictured a Yorkshire pub in your head, this would be it. We were really impressed with the children's meals - they were very reasonably priced, homecooked and a big portion too. I liked how they put a huge bowl of chips in the middle of the kids' table for them to share. There were activity sheets which kept the kids entertained until their food arrived. I would say that service was a little slow here, we were there for the pub opening at 12noon and it wasn't busy. It took around 50 minutes for our food to arrive which did not please Jack and caused him to go into hangry mode as you can see below!
The Sunday lunch (£9.75) was lovely and all homecooked but my beef was far too tough which was a shame. We would go back to The Oak Wheel but perhaps for a more relaxed evening meal when the kids weren't starving. I'd be tempted to get organised and book The Three Jolly Sailors for Sunday lunch next time though as the car park was packed as we walked past which is always a good sign.
After lunch it was time to say our goodbyes as we had a party to get to back in Newcastle. The Hoopers stayed on for the rest of the day and made the most of their break though and we definitely could have stayed a little longer.
We really enjoyed our little weekend break in Scarborough and it's a lovely place to holiday with friends or family. I really enjoyed this trip as I discovered a few new places I'd not visited before. Let me know if you have any plans to visit Scarborough this year or if I've inspired you to visit any of the places I've mentioned.
Need to know
- Meadowside Cottage
- Treasure Trails
- Seafood Social Scarborough
- The Oak Wheel Pub
- What to do in Scarborough - Here Come the Hoopers
- What to do in Scarborough - North East Family Fun
Pin Me For Later
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
©
North East Family Fun | All rights reserved.