I have four days in Ilkley in two weeks time what is there to do with kids?

[BigGitHamsterKillingDad]

The BGD family are visiting a friend near Ilkley (Addingham) during the School Easter holidays. We have two children, one nearly three the other almost five, what things can I do with them?
I see there is a swimming pool in Ilkley, are here any animal farms nearby that I can take the kids to?
Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

There is quite a nice little farm at Bolton Abbey (so very close to Addingham) that you could go to. It is closed on Mondays though.

Also obviously Bolton Abbey itself is nice, with the ruins and stepping stones etc if it is a nice day.

There is the Embsay to Bolton Abbey Steam Railway also.

That sounds good as I was intending to visit a steam railway with the kids at the weekend there. I have been to A wedding at Bolton Abbey absolutely beautiful so will be looking to visit there again.
I have been to Addingham quite a few times but always on a boys weekend but now I am taking the family I have to find family things rather that the pub!

Get onto t' moor baht hat????

ooh moondog dp just said that i didn't even know what it meant ? He's from yorkshire i'm from lancashire

Exactly what moondag said!

Skipton is fab, you could spend some time there.

The steam railway as bozza mentions.

There are several animal places in the vicinity, in fact there was another thread not long ago, 'ang on a sec....

For a starter as you say, the good ol' steam railway from Bolton Abbey, I literally had to drag my ds away from it today (they have an engine which is Thomas available permanently; on Thomas days they slap a happy face on him).

I'm not sure of the exact deal re: farms nearby but they are bound to exist. As a point of last resort you have the very lovely Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in north Leeds.

Playdays in Otley also recommended. Plus not too far north you have Keighley with its own railway, all the way to Haworth.

Addingham itself is lovely, I noticed as I crawled through it twice at 20 mph today

Go on the moor without (bar) hat ('tat). Or don't!

you need Paula!!

Hesketh farm park

Thomas the Tank engine is a \bolton Abbey steam railway although i may need to check dates

Pool at Ilkley is fab in summer (i think one of the most stunning lidos left ) but very ordinary rest of time

harrogate has a fab play place 'the time machine' it is a half hour away but worth it in bad weather

cow and calf rocks ( i could lend you back carrier if you need one ) fab views and great for SUPERVISED fun

ditto the Tarn and White Wells (spa bath) and Darwin Gardens great for 5 year old fun and education

Create is great - self explanatory

we went to tropical world today - cheap and fabulous

let me think what else.....

Skipton Castle is 5 miles from Addingham and we once went and had a good day

This was the thread I was thinking of although it's a bit N of Ilkley.

biggitdad bolton abey is Dennis Healeys favourite place - i once saw a prog on it - lovely - the landscape is breathtaking

there is bronte parsonnage inHawarth although when ds was 3 he went under a rope and climbed on a chaise longue that one of the sisters - i forget which- had died on

worth a trip for you though

Thornton Hall Country Park at Thornton-in-Craven a bit past Skipton; someone I work with went last week and says it's lovely.

(I drive past it on my way to work and long to go in )

the farm park at Bolton Abbey is fab - we fed lambs milk and when i last went (over a year ago) it was clean and lovely

the farmer took us all on a tractor trailer ride over the farm and taught us about the animals and took questions

it was fab if a bit dear

You could also look at Malham Tarn and other local NT places.

Malham does have occasional visitor events, but only at peak times - they had a lamb thing at Easter weekend but looks like nothing for the next few weeks - but it's a good day out and if the weather's not too cold you can go in wellies and dam the stream

dp reccomends saltaire which is a model village , shipley glen also.
Reccomend Skipton my ds 6 loved the castle.

Paula, don't tell Mrs BGD but Fred Trueman (famous deceased England and Yorkshire cricketer) is buried at Bolton Abbey and I would like to see his grave.
The Bolton Abbey farm sounds good especially the tractor ride.
Someone has recommended the Keighley railway to me.
I quite fancy Skipton too, I used to start my canal holidays from there as a kid so would like to visit the boatyard, the kids might be interested by the canal boats. (Or maybe not!)

St Leonard's farm park is about a 25 to 20 min drive from ilkely, they have a website.
You can go walking on cow and calf rock, good for a mucky scramble about.

Fred Trueman's daughter married Raquel Welch's son at the Devonshire Arms (just down the road from Bolton Abbey) - I think you should bob in there too and raise a glass in their honour

shipley glen (or at least the rides, etc) has closed down now, though, I think- dh was mourning its passing the other day (think endless "when I were a lad" type mutterings )

Hesketh Farm Park is also good if the weather isn't too great, because there's a fair bit under cover.

The Time Machine in Harrogate is good soft play, I think they've renamed it Kids Play, for some reason, if you're doing a search but it'll be quite a drive.

Skipton also has a canal, and canal boat trips. (so does Saltaire- or rather a water bus, genuine canal based public transport!)

Keighley & Worth Valley (the Railway Children line) is not the same as the Embsay & Bolton Abbey line

sorry, wandered off to get wine mid reply- I see you are up to speed on the canal front

Ah! That wedding, who can forget Raquel Welch's dress? That is imprinted on my brain.
Thanks for the help everyone, all I need now is are there any pubs with play gardens? (preferably doing good food and Theakston XB)

itching to know who your friends are !!

or should i say dp said 'who are his freinds......ask him!'

I think the canal trip sounds quite good may google that in a minute.