Family

Yarrow Valley Country Park Review For Families

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Yarrow Valley Country Park

We recently spent a sunny weekend at Yarrow Valley Country Park in Chorley – and what a hidden gem it is! We were meeting family who were on a family holiday and making their way to the Lake District. This was a perfect plot on the route to meet. We made the trip over the Pennines, and fortunately, Yarrow Valley Country Park was worth the visit.

With free parking, beautiful walks, waterfalls, a lake, cycling routes, and a great play area, it’s perfect for families like ours looking for an easy, affordable outdoor adventure. On this particular trip we didn’t take our bikes as we were meeting family, but we plan another trip soon to sample the Bike routes.

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Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick Review For Families

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Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick

Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick, Scottish Borders, is a gem for families seeking outdoor fun. In the February half term, we had a trip to the Scottish Borders and having previously visited (and loved) this park, we decided to venture back. It was June last time we visited (2021, hence the kids looking much smaller!). But fortunately, even though it was February, the weather played ball!

This 107-acre park, protected as a Fields in Trust green space since 2019, offers a blend of adventure, history, and natural beauty, making it a perfect stop for your family. It’s perhaps one of the most beautiful and well-kept parks we’ve been to, especially given its central location within the town.

Let’s dive into the details to help you plan your visit.

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Center Parcs Review For Families

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Center Parcs Review For Families

There’s a long-running joke about the cost of Center Parcs. A trip there can sometimes feel like you’re paying obscene prices for a trip a couple of hours away from home. 

But here’s the truth we’ve discovered: when approached in the right way, Center Parcs can be one of the best-value short breaks for outdoorsy families—especially those with young cyclists in tow who happen to love swimming and parks. 

Table of Contents

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Ingbirchworth Reservoir Review for Families

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Ingbirchworth Reservoir

One of our favourite types of family outings is a good reservoir walk—easy-going, scenic, and just the right distance to tire out the kids without them realising they’re exercising! This past weekend in March, with the first real hints of spring sunshine, we headed to Ingbirchworth Reservoir with some friends (who also have two kids, aged 9 and 6) for a relaxed wander.If you’ve read our Scout Dike Reservoir review, you’ll know that Ingbirchworth is part of the Three Reservoirs Walk in South Yorkshire, but this time, we focused on Ingirchworth primary reservoir —and it turned out to be a great little adventure for the kids.

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Sands Playground, Holmfirth Review For Families

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Sands Playground & Recreational Ground

A beautiful spring weekend called for an outdoor adventure, and Sands Playground in Holmfirth delivered! With blue skies and sunshine (a rare treat in March), we jumped into the car and headed off to explore. I wanted to head back to Holmfirth for some time. We really like this part of Yorkshire and I hadn’t been with the kids so the Sands Playground seemed like a nice spot to enjoy. We went without any expectations and it was far better than we imagined.

Spoiler alert: It’s a fantastic spot for families, and there’s way more to it than just a playground!

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Harestanes Park Review For Families

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Harestanes Park Jedburgh

If you are visiting the borders or live close to Jedburgh then we are a huge fan of Harestanes Park

We’ve been lucky enough to visit this gem twice—once in the summer of 2021 and again during the February half-term. The first time we went Matilda was 5 and Barney was 9 months old so it was an entirely different experience.

It’s become one of those places we wished we had on our doorstep. Unfortunately, it’s 4 hours away! Harestanes has it all—and it’s perfect for little adventurers of all ages.

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Cragside National Trust Review For Families

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Cragside National Trust

Place at a glance

Visit length Half day – Full day
Accessibility Main routes buggy-friendly; some steep/stepped sections elsewhere
Cost NT members free; standard admission for non-members
Dog friendly Dogs on leads in grounds (check house access)
Facilities
  • Car parks · Toilets · Café
  • Play/nature areas & waymarked trails
  • Picnic spots around lakes/woodland
Top things to do
  • Explore the house (hydroelectric heritage)
  • Rock Garden, Pinetum & Nelly’s Moss lakes
  • Carriage Drive viewpoints & The Labyrinth

Nestled in the heart of Northumberland, Cragside offers a perfect blend of history, innovation, and natural beauty, making it an ideal destination for families with children of all ages.

We visited Cragside in the February half term when on a short break to Northumberland. It’s a part of the country we love due to its expansive open land and beautiful scenery. Cragside didn’t disappoint on this.

With gardens, stately home, lakes, play parks and much more you could easily spend a couple of days exploring this National Trust location. Unfortunately, we only had a couple of hours but still managed to cram plenty into the trip. 

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Free Public Play Areas Within the Wakefield District

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Pontefract Park Review

As a Wakefield-based family, we love to explore the free public play areas within the district. The recurring theme with all the recommended parks is that they are completely free of charge and are open to all of the public.

We have chosen a breadth of options located within a 10-mile radius of the city centre so they appeal to all families within the district.

These spaces are managed by the local council and community organisations, ensuring accessibility for residents and visitors. Below is a detailed table of the identified play areas, their pros, cons, and overall ratings, reflecting their suitability for family outings. These ratings are based on our own experience. All free play areas are an asset to the community however some are better updated than others which is reflected in the reviews.

We have also included detailed information on each park as well as links to our reviews of specific parks. This is more extensive with photography from our own visit to the park. Even though we live here there are still parks we are yet to visit so stick with us!

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Sandal Castle Review for Families

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Sandal Castle

I can’t believe we haven’t reviewed Sandal Castle – we have been here so many times and have so many memories here! It has been so nice looking at all our photos and choosing some to add to the article. 

We live close to Sandal Castle and there are a few walking/cycling routes we can take to get there. We have visited at various different stages of our lives since we moved here…when we had Matilda and she was in a sling, then a pram, then running around, and then on her bike. We then had Barney and did all of the same but as a family of four. It is somewhere we have met with family and friends and I would say it is quite special to us for all of these reasons.

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Case Study: The Impact of Switching to Cycling for Short Family Journeys

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Second Hand Bike

I’ve always been a fan of case studies. They are an excellent way for someone to visualise a situation and are incredibly relatable.

We’ve banged the drum about the importance of cycling to school for the children and parents alike. The data shows it benefits your kids hugely and I have two examples of my own children who couldn’t visualise any other way to get to school, whether via bike or on foot. Once the habits are ingrained they are difficult to break. 

But what about specific numbers and outcomes, and how can we make YOU want to do the same? Introducing our case study series. These will document real-life & fictional families and the benefits of switching your lifestyle to one which is more active. These will look at the financial, social and health benefits of doing so. Not only that but the time angle where if you provide your kids with the tools for independence early, it’s something which will benefit you as adults too in the long run!

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