Holiday in Bradford- what to do?

[jasminoide]

DH is working from an office for the first 3 weeks of August and we've decided to go along and make a holiday out of it. Accommodation is sorted, just looking for recommendations for things to do with a teen and tween. We will have a car and don't mind driving up to an hour, or 90 minutes for a really nice place.
So far we'd like to go to Flamingo Land and the cat cafe in Leeds. I'd love to go to a Botanical garden (of the indoor, tropical type) but not sure where the closest would be? We are planning day trips to Sheffield, Manchester and perhaps Leicester.
Open to all ideas, the hidden gems as well as the well known places.
Is Flamborough worth going to for the views?

Dont go into Sheffield it's just a town centre. Go into the peak district. Bakewell Castleton Buxton. You could visit Bolsover Castle which is nice or in Nottingham there are some great outdoor places Sherwood Pines or Forest or Rufford Park. You could book a day in Alton Towers or in the Waterpark of it which is fun. National Space Centre in Leicester. Whitby and all surrounding seaside areas are lovely as are the steam trains nearby. York is a nice day and Harrogate if you like to amble eat and shop. Aygarth Falls is nearby and that's lovely.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park for animals.

Bradford is obviously great for Indian and Pakistani food but if you like it I can totally recommend Prashad (although I haven’t been for 6 years 😂)

How about looking up agricultural shows in the Dales? They tend to be a lot of fun with sheepdog trials etc.

www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/events/

Askham Bryan wildlife park do animal encounter/ keeper for the day experiences. Combine with a trip into York - afternoon tea at Betty's and a walk on the walls.

Salts Mill in Saltaire
Settle to Carlisle Railway
York- National Railway Museum - superb for children .
Bradford Industrial Museum
All of the parks in and around Bradford are superb and testament to those that funded them years ago.
Have a wonderful time x

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is to the east of Sheffield and also a good day out. Not a huge place but you do get up close and personal with a few of the animals.

Came on to say Yorkshire Wildlife Park. It’s in Doncaster.

Magna in Rotherham.
Yorkshire wildlife park in Doncaster is huge and a full day out.
The Yorkshire mining museum in Wakefield is great and you go into the mine.

Leicester is a long way from Bradford, not sure it's worth the trek to be honest.

There's a great "Railway Children" walk around Haworth (free, and you see lots of the film locations for the 1970s film) - you can also walk to Wuthering Heights (Top Withens) from Haworth.

Is there still an ice rink in Bradford ( we used to go on school trips from Harrogate)?

Ilkley/Ilkley Moor

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is fab.

If you come to Harrogate, visit our phonebox library on St Hilda's Road, HG2 8JY and pick up some holiday reads - we've got a crimewriting event planned for late July and will be celebrating Yorkshire Day on August 1st with lots of Yorkshire reads (Facebook page www.facebook.com/thesaintscommunitylibrary)

A hidden gem in Halifax is Manor Heath Park with its butterfly and insect world sections plus botanical garden.
Its a quiet oasis of calm just outside the town centre and well worth a visit. There's a cafe and play area too.

Can be added on to a visit to Eureka or the Piece Hall if heading west for the day from Bradford.

Lotherton Hall near Leeds has a good bird garden with penguins and lots of picnic space and plsygrounds. Temple Newsam also has a great playground and a very good farm to visit.

[quote Hippee]There's a great "Railway Children" walk around Haworth (free, and you see lots of the film locations for the 1970s film) - you can also walk to Wuthering Heights (Top Withens) from Haworth.

Is there still an ice rink in Bradford ( we used to go on school trips from Harrogate)?

Ilkley/Ilkley Moor

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is fab.

If you come to Harrogate, visit our phonebox library on St Hilda's Road, HG2 8JY and pick up some holiday reads - we've got a crimewriting event planned for late July and will be celebrating Yorkshire Day on August 1st with lots of Yorkshire reads (Facebook page www.facebook.com/thesaintscommunitylibrary)[/quote]

Yes! We were there a few weeks ago & they were filming Railway Children 2 at Oxenhope.

Why have I never heard of an alpaca experience in Pudsey! Just looked it up and it's at Tong! I might have to book this lol.

Lightwater Valley is good. Flamingoland has animals too as well as rides. There's an Xscape at Castleford (about 25 miles from Bradford) with a ski slope and you can do sledging there and nextdoor is a big outdoor shopping outlet, Junction 32. Yorkshire mining museum is good (you need to book a slot but it's free entry). You can also get treasure trails for a number of places in Yorkshire, check out the website www,treasuretrails.co.uk

d love to go to a Botanical garden (of the indoor, tropical type) but not sure where the closest would be

There's a very small one at Temple Newsham east of Leeds, which is nice for a few hours wander round. There's also a nice fountain area near the media museum in Bradford city centre.

Whereabouts are you staying OP? As you can see, there's absolutely loads to see and do in West Yorkshire. Is the Bradford ice rink still open? There's now one at elland road in Leeds, but it was delayed by covid and I don't know if it's opened.

If your DC are into shopping, Leeds is probably better than Bradford and there's great street food vans in the trinity centre, a new Filipino burger chain and the corn exchange.

@princesslarmadrama

Why have I never heard of an alpaca experience in Pudsey! Just looked it up and it's at Tong! I might have to book this lol.

I've seen the alpacas in their field while walking in that area, didn't realise it was a paid attraction. There's a great ice cream farm in Tong too.

There's a go ape at Temple Newsam as well as a small selection of animals.

Train to Mcr and Leeds easy from Bradford. Save yourself the joys of the M62.
Also trains via Leeds to York, Scarborough, via Manchester to Liverpool .
Bradford has the museum, used to have ice skating but not sure now, cinema near the centre.

Haworth, ilkley, for little individual shops & tea rooms. Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire Scuplture Park for a wander. Piece Hall and Eureka in Halifax. Leeds shopping and the Royal Armouries. Manchester shopping and there’s a museum or two definitely.
Hebden Bridge, canal walk, little shops, plenty of cafes etc. Also easy on the train as is Halifax. Skipton, market town, Castle, canal, again can do the train. Bolton Abbey, nice river walks, ruins, near skipton.

Bradford may not be the best place for a holiday but think all these suggestions show that it’s very well placed to visit a lot of places. You may need a holiday afterwards!

I would love it if you came back and told us how you get on.

www.anotherworldadventurecentre.co.uk/activities/

National mining museum is near the Yorkshire sculpture park and is free to get into.

Five Rise Locks are a nice stroll from Bingley and you can return to Bradford with the train. Watching the barges negotiate them is really interesting (to me at least!).

Go to the beautiful waterstones bookshop in the old wool.exchange and out for a brilliant curry.

Agree- Leicester would take 3 hours!
Things to do in a 60-90 minute radius:
Tropical World/ Roundhay park
Royal Armouries
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is brilliant.
Science and Media Museum
York- National Railway Museum, Jorvik, walk on the walls
Haworth- Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Bronte Parsonage Museum, lovely shops and cafes, walk on the moors.
Bolton Abbey- walk, paddle with food at Billy Bob’s (book well in advance!)
Harewood House
NT- Fountain’s Abbey and Studley Royal, Nostell Priory, East Riddlesden Hall, Brimham Rocks, Hardcastle Crags.
Halifax- those ages too old for Eureka. Shibden Hall (home of Anne Lister) is interesting, plus a look around the Piece Hall.
Another World adventure centre and a walk at Ogden water.
Saltaire - Salt’s Mill. David Hockney exhibition, great bookshop and the diner is nice. Right next to Roberts Park.
Skipton on market day or Sunday artisan market. Castle, walk in Castle Woods.
Otley Chevin good walks and bike trails. Cake at Chilli yard kitchen on the Chevin.

Also agree about Bradford Museums and galleries and parks. Cliffe Castle, St Ives in Bingley- combine with a look at 5 rise locks, Lister Park and Cartwright Hall.