What to do with 10mo in York this May?

[VerityClinch]

My husband and I are bringing our 10mo DD to York for the first time this May.

DH was born and lived much of his adult life in York - born in Copmanthorpe, lived as an adult in Bishophill. Five years ago I lured him Down Sarf (something he has never quite forgiven me for) but we have visited York several times a year ever since.

Now, though, we have our daughter in tow for the first time. We are staying very centrally in York, so will be able to walk pretty much everywhere with her in her buggy.

Can anyone give me suggestions for good places to go with her - as previously we pretty much just hung out in favourite bars and restaurants - I think we will see the town in a new light now we have her with us! Anywhere with good baby change, safe for her to crawl/explore etc etc would be very welcome.

Am expecting she will be crawling by then, so think if the weather is nice the museum gardens will be a good place to hang out, but other than that I am pretty clueless about facilities for babies/toddlers in York - please give me all your suggestions!

TIA.

Baby change is actually quite restricted now imo. Marks and Spencer - both stores - is a possible as is Fenwicks. Borders is shut now and Mothercare moved out ages ago though. Browns have a changing area in the ladiues loo but you have to carry baby up the stairs. I'm not sure about the new Boots - they may have one. The library will also have some sort of facility - it's closed at the moment for refurb but will be open by then.

Bettys have a nice facility if you're using the cafe of course. Ask is quite baby friendly - loads of room for the buggy but you have to heave it up the steps - should be fine if there is two of you. Also I think the Slug and lettuce on Swinegate is popular with yummy mummys

Bring a sling with you and you can walk the walls - really nice thing to do at that time of the year. You could go to the pottery cafe place just outside the walls at Bootham and do some pot decorating with her hand/foot prints? If you have a car you could head out just beyond the ring road to Creepy Crawlies soft play - that's on the Helmsley road and generally a lovely area for a drive. You can take the bus to Monks Cross and visit Waterworld for swimming - also just down the road from there is Paul Stride - ace independant nursery stuff shop.
There is lots of space at the railway museum for rampaging In addition to the museum gardens don't forget Dean's park behind the minster. The national trust shop on Goodramgate is also baby frinedly and will have changing facilities in the cafe but I think they might be quite small.
Check out the website for City Screen - located right in the centre of York they do screenings called 'The Big Scream' - for parents to take babies too!

Enjoy

the Spurriergate centre is ok for a coffee and cake and has a little play area and decent changing facilities.

sorry, it's at the top of Coney street.

I knew I was forgetting somewhere!

although the toilets stink, the baby room in the toilets off Coppergate (near Cliffords Tower) is really nice, and the attendants are lovely. It's stocked with nappy bags and wipes and talc, has loads of room. Better than the splash palace in Parliament Street.

The Blakeshead cafe on Mickelgate is good and has nice felicities

Thanks everyone.

Are there any "baby cafe" places in York? Here we have a place called Coffee and Crayons - cafe upstairs, play area/arts and crafts downstairs. Mummies sit upstairs with a cuppa while the little darlings trash the place downstairs - under supervision obviously!

The Slug was one of our previous hangouts (until they took the sofas out of the window - used to sit there all Sunday getting merry on a bottle or two of wine and reading the papers... happy days... gone forever...) so will definitely check that out! (although not in possession of any "yummy" credentials unfortunately).

Does anyone know if the pub (possibly also a Slug) on the bridge over the river (opposite the Living Room) has baby change - because they DO have sofas in the window overlooking the river and you can very nearly see DH's old house from there, so he gets all misty eyed and his accent comes back and that's quite entertaining to watch

yes it's a slug too, a bit nicer than the other one IMO, and yes they do have baby changing.

the coffee and crayons place sounds ace, but nothing like that in the centre of town unfortunately.

Pret mange' (prob spelt wrong) on parliment street has a small area upstairs with padded floor and a small table and chairs with colouring stuff on. They also have baby changing.