Summer days out in the North for 14 & 10 yr old?!

[HarveyDanger]

We live in the NW… Cumbria. We’re not going away this year, except for a weekend in Scotland.

We exhaust the Lake District daily due to living here… so activity days or are sorted. But…

Does anyone have any ideas for paid days out to attractions in the North?… Happy to travel to Yorkshire and Northumberland.

Only thing I can think of is c Sandcastles in Blackpool and Forbidden Corner!

Thanks!

Blackpool ok or not?

Would manchester area be doable?

There's a good farm / zoo called Whitehouse farm near Morpeth.

Metro centre?

Yeah, Manchester’s about half an hr by train… we’ve done the museums.

Blackpool has the sandcastles, which we’ll go to

Thanks for the morpeth idea. I’ll have a look

There's Alnwick castle and gardens too. They've also just opened a massive adventure playground. It says for under 12s but my 15 year old niece went recently and loved it.

And if any of you are book lovers then Barter Books is worth a visit.

I'm in Northumberland, mine are a bit younger at 7&8 but i'll try to give you some ideas!

Beamish museum
Alnwick Gardens and the new Lilidorei play area
Etal & Ford railway
Adventure Valley
Whitehouse Farm
Hall Hill Farm
Bamburgh castle (and beach)
Tynemouth beach & Crusoes cafe for some yummy food
Tynemouth Jungle Wipeout
Morpeth adventure golf and footgolf
Go Ape in Matfen
Northumberland Zoo
York Maze

Some of these may be a bit young for your kids. I'll try to think of more 😊

Have you come across Treasure Trails? They’re pretty good for making you see places you already know a little differently.

https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/collections/cumbria

Awesome! Thanks! I forgot that’s where HP is filmed!

Thank you!

BeWILDerwood in Cheshire is a fab day - all outdoors so go when it is dry!

Would they like Liverpool?

Bewilderwood I'd say is for more younger children. 10 year old may enjoy but only just. The Croky Trail is more suited to older kids and in the same area.

Depending on what your dc are interested in, mine loved walking around Afflecks Palace in Manchester earlier in the year. It's an alternative shopping place with loads of small stores. I think they would have stayed there all day - we didn't buy loads they just loved browsing.

There is the National Video Game museum in Sheffield too. We haven't visited but on our list to do so over the summer.

We live in a different area but heading over to East Yorkshire on holiday so following for places to visit/stop on our journey.

Forbidden Corner near Leyburn - great fun for those ages (and adults as well) and there is nowhere else like it. You need to book in advance though.

Oops sorry, just seen you’ve thought of FC already!

I'd have thought some of the suggestions near the Northumbrian coast are more weekend than day trips from cumbria... though cumbria itself is so large that travel time obviously depends exactly where you are, OP.

Probably a bit closer to you, Caerlaverock a bit over the border in Dumfries&Galloway has a WWT reserve and a rather good castle.

The Bowes museum near Barnard Castle is probably in daytrip range for you too - I haven't been for years but iirc it's good. thebowesmuseum.org.uk

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail and the White Scar Show Cave

Inglebrough Cave

Lancaster Castle

Richmond Castle

Lightwater Valley theme park

Flamingo Land

Gulliver’s World

Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The Crocky Trail in Cheshire is a great day out if you want to venture that far.

Quirky Quarter in Liverpool is fun and a bit different. You need a phone to take photos to get the full effect. Couple it up with lunch and a stroll around the Albert Dock/Waterfront, take the ferry, have some lunch.

Ingleton Falls is nice, take a picnic, can be challenging in places but my DCs who are younger than yours managed it. There's a chip shop at the end too.

Theres a better 'Sandcastles' type pool complex in Scarborough.. Alpamere? My DC (10&13) enjoyed this one more!

Also White Scar Caves was enjoyed. As was Eden Camp.

Ingleton Falls is nice, take a picnic, can be challenging in places but my DCs who are younger than yours managed it. There's a chip shop at the end too.

And a refreshment hut and an icecream van along the route ... probably not challenging for Cumbrian kids.

Ha, you’re right!… We live Ingleton falls! But it’s a stroll for hardy Cumbrians 🤣

I didn’t raise Gulliver works still existed!… I was always more of a camalot fan growing up 🤣

We’re based in the south lakes. Happy to do stay overs at campsites… would love to explore the Northumberland coast

My ds would love the video game Museum! Thanks

York’s good for a teen day out. You can do axe-throwing, Harry Potter themed crazy golf, cat cafe, Travelling Man comic book shop, massive Primark, a walk round the city walls, York Dungeon, river cruise, there’s a Wagamama and various bubble tea places…