Forest of Bowland/Yorkshire Dales - recommendations please.

[RainingCatsandDogs]

Staying at Waddington near Clitheroe next week .Where would you recommend with a 1 year and 7 year old?

Have looked at places on the web and saw Dales Falconry centre near Settle,Forbidden corner ,Bolton Abbey,Richmond, all in the dales area but am not sure if these take a long time to get to.Can't see anything too specific for children in the forest of bowland.Can't do much walking as have my 75 year old mum with us but would appreciate suggestions of any gentle paths which are not too long.
Has anyone got any good suggestions for age range 1-75!
Also anywhere good to eat - saw the three fishes,red pump inn ,olive press on sugarvine website - anyone have any experience?

Hi, RCAD - I live in Clitheroe so will help as much as I can!

DD2 works at the Lower Buck in Waddington (behind the church) and the food there is excellent. The 3 Fishes has had good reviews. The Olive Press hasn't been open long so I don't know about that.

In Clitheroe there is a lovely grassy picnic and play area by the Ribble at Edisford, with a miniature railway sometimes (not sure when, will try to find out)

You can drive through the Trough of Bowland to Lancaster - it's a lovely scenic drive except for the last bit, and just as you get to Lancaster Williamson Park is right there (so you don't have to go through the city centre which is a bit of a one-way-change-lanes nightmare).

Bolton Abbey isn't too far and there is a steam train which runs between there and Embsay - they will be running daily during the week and they have Days Out with Thomas at the Bank Holiday weekend.

Richmond is a loooong way and Forbidden Corner is almost as far - 1½-2 hours each way to Forbidden Corner, Richmond further.

Which dates are you arriving and leaving and I'll do some rummaging for you

um- I think you can go up Clitheroe castle too.

Maybe a train ride on the Settle to Carlisle line - or a drive up to watch trains go over the Ribble Head Viaduct.

Skipton Castle is fun too.

Drive up and have a look at Malham - Cove, Tarn etc and Garsdale Scar.

And caves up in the Ingleton area.

Thankyou WW !

Arriving Tuesday 21st,leaving Saturday 25th up to in laws in Scotland.

I'm originally from Preston(where my mum still lives - hence her coming with us) but can't remember anything.Now live Cambridge.

Looking forward to being in Lancashire again.

Any nice gentle/short walks?

Remember Malham slightly from my childhood.Not sure about caves with mum and ds(1year) in rucksack - slippery? - dd (7 years) would love it though.DD also loves history - roman thing at ribbleton any good?

Oooh, revisiting your roots

Clitheroe Castle is closed for renovations (or something)

Yes, I was going to suggest Skipton - it's great on market day but I think that's a Saturday so no use to you. Clitheroe Market is Tues & Sat, ditto (also Thurs but a bit sparse and it has no atmosphere since it was modernised)

DH says the trip to Forbidden Corner isn't as long as I said (it's a better road than the one to Lancaster, which takes about an hour) and that it is a lovely drive. You need to pre-book there though.

It doesn't take long to get to the South Lakes from here and there is a newish animal park whose name escapes me, I will check. But there is the S Lakes Animal Park, and the World of Beatrix Potter at Bowness. And Kendal is a nice town to wander round. Brockhole is a good day out and has lovely grounds.

I've never been to the Roman Museum There is an exhibition called Living with the Romans at the Museum of Lancashire in Preston atm (only started mid-Jul so should be quite fresh!)

I will think on...!

the walk to the Cove at Malham is quite gentle - I walked it with my 4 year olds this spring - should be fine for a reasonably mobile 75 year old. And up by the Tarn is flat - easy for pottering around. But I guess it is a bit of a drive from Clitheroe - we were staying a bit nearer Skipton.

How about these or these ot these.

I will ask DH about the walks, he knows better than me.

Malham isn't bad for that; you park in the village (there is a car park) and then it's a rolling kind of walk, up and down but nothing too steep, and alongside the stream, our kids always used to jump in and make dams when they were small. Maybe a bit long for your mum though.

At Brockhole on Fri 24 there is supposed to be (I'm never sure whether to trust these things!) an "Animal Encounters" session with creatures from Trotters (which itself is way over near Cockermouth and too far for you I think).

Aha, DH has just come up with an excellent suggestion - Downham! You can easily spend a couple of hours there with kids, strolling up and down and around (and in the water again, if your DD is that way inclined!) - feed the ducks and have lunch in the Assheton Arms.

throckenholt's second link has good riverside walks but they are inclined to be muddy - DH was talking about those but said you'd need proper walking shoes (unless we have a heatwave between now and then and I don't think that's going to happen!)

Here's the other animal place I mentioned - it's not far on from Lancaster so a reasonable day out, I haven't been but I really want to go, it looks brilliant!

Lakeland Wildlife Oasis

Went away for a while but you have posted lots of suggestions.Thankyou.

Going to search the links more thoroughly tonight once ds/dd in bed.Looking forward to the break and recultivating my lancashire vowels!