Breaking the journey between Northumberland & London

[Holidayaddict]

We've booked a night in York on the way up. We don't want to stay overnight on way home but would like somewhere to stop for an hour or 2 and have a picnic lunch. We don't want a service station as we consider the journey part of the holiday! I see Doncaster is the exact halfway point but not sure if anything nearby. A couple of possibilities are Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales or Eyam in Derbyshire, both of which look interesting. However, both add at least an hour to journey. We're NT members so if we can utilise that even better! (I see Eyam is NT).

Thanks.

We tend to stop at Fountains Abbey NT when travelling between the Borders and Cambridge. Not sure how well positioned this is for your journey though, but it's only a minor detour off the A1

We have stopped at Clumber Park before, which is National Trust and not too far from Doncaster. There's a good adventure playground.

I was going to say clumber. Five mins off A1 if that.

What about the Yorkshire Sculpture Park?
It's lovely, good picnic opportunities and a cafe too.

Eyam will add more than an hour to your journey and Id have thought aysgarth would as well. Not great roads.

Thank you off to Google your suggestions!

Hardwick Hall is pretty much the halfway point. We often stop and picnic there. If weather not good, there is a nice pub at the edge of the estate, the Hardwicke Arms.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is just outside Doncaster and is brilliant. We hold annual passes.

Are you going A1 or M1? Just thought if you're not going a1 then clumber may be a bit far to detour too!

Are you going A1 or M1? Just thought if you're not going a1 then clumber may be a bit far to detour too!

Oh, hadn't thought! What would people recommend? (we're north of London). Having said that, the place we're staying near Alnwick is a stone's throw off the A1. Is there much to look at on the A1. Would prefer scenery to boring motorway and we're not in a mad rush hence wanting to stop an route.

The suggested route when I put into Google maps is A1.

If you go M1 there's loads of lovely places to stop near Barnsley. As mentioned the Yorkshire sculpture park is right off junction 38.

There's also cannon hall a couple of miles from the motorway. The grounds are lovely and the farm shop is really good. If it's wet you can pay to go into the farm and soft play.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park - price of car parking only - about £8 well worth it, fascinating place.
Brodsworth Hall - English heritage, nice garden and play area
Hardwick Hall - National trust. Lovely gardens. No play area.
Bolsover Castle- English heritage - quite small good for an hour stopover.
Clumber Park - national trust. Pleasant to wander around but nothing of particular note to see.
Ripon - nice city to potter around - look out for the Alice in Wonderland references in the cathedral.
There are more attractions just off M1 and M1 as easy to access, it just splits at Leeds which is another potential destination - Leeds Armouries worth a visit or just potter around.

Eek - totally spoilt for choice now. Thank you!