Holiday ideas for North North Yorks/Teesside/Co durham

[CarGirl]

the girls will be 4,6 & 7 and may have my 12 year old too (or not!).

Haven't been up there for YEARS so apart from the obligatory trip to Whitby what would you recommend.

helmsley is nice, beamish near durham, visitor centre at the top of sutton bank has nice walks from it, doable for little legs, durham shops and boats on the river, newby hall, fountains abbey, high force in teesdale, loads to do

yes I know loads to do (used to live there) but just panicking at what to choose.

Know the River Tees far to well for my liking - my dad was an avid canoeist!

Is Preston Hall okay or is it pants with the butterfly thing?

Dalby Forest. Lots of lovely shops in Helmsley - and nice cafes.

preston hall is pretty boring really, unless the weather is fab (although they often have a good camping exhibition there!) natures world in middlebrough meant to be v good, also the new museum of modern art, stewarts park/ormesby hall good too

camping exhibition!!! Is it still a museum with a mini street?

I remember when it had a Zoo, I got several of my guinea pigs from there.

I have visions of driving around everywhere completely lost.

camping ehibition is next to the overflow carpark near the play areas (which are quite good)

when are you going and where are you staying?

I'll be staying in Hutton Rudby in August, used to live in Eaglescliffe.

My dh (surrey born & bred) asked if there was anything to do up there but apart from taking them to lots of beautiful places I can't think of much. I seriously need to impress!

Beamish?

Preston Park is nice for a wander and a picnic, I prefer Stewart's Park myself.

I thought Preston Park looked scruffy last time we were there.

There is a new swimming pool in Stockton (well where the old one was!) that seemed very child friendly but I thought it was very expensive. There is a pool at the Rainbow centre thats cheaper but no slides etc.

Beamish makes me think of enforced school trips and something to drive past on the way to the Metro Centre!!!

I'm sure compared to Surrey thing will seem reasonably priced.

Perhaps we need to go for a month to see everything.

What is good if the weather is awful?

(I am childless so bare that in mind!)

We went to Beamish in May, LOADS of kids there enjoying themselves, there is more there than there used to be.

Metros not a bad idea, there is still Metroland and you can get the bus over to Newcastle which has the quayside and the Baltic which is nice. Theres a good science museum too.

Flamingo Land is supposed to be nice.

You can ice skate at Billingham Forum. Swimming like I said. Maybe look whats on at the theatre (Middlesbrough Little Theatre and Darlington).

Theres a soft play just outside Thornaby that I used to go to with a friend and her children.

we tend to head to newcastle if the weather's bad and we want a day out, discovery museum (free) and centre for life are great, also the hancock has just re opened I think. Picnic in Staithes if weather good? trip on the NY moors railway, to pickering is beautiful, historic quay at hartlepool, or there's always york...

Can you still go up to captain cooks monument?

yes (captain cook's ornament as my juvenile DH calls it ) the walk from the lord stones cafe up carlton bank is good for little ones, as is roseberry topping

where is the best "seaside" place ie for sand & sea and an icecream/cup of coffee? Assuming there is some fantastic weather, rather than just the bracing North Sea breeze.

thanks Mutt!

York is v.nice yes.

but York is full of tourists!!!

You will be a tourist!

My dad raves about Saltburn but I am not convinced!

Theres a sealife centre at Scarbrough.

What about a day out to Durham?

Theres an old abbey near Osmotherly but I forget the name now?

Bowling or cinema at Teesside Park?

Excessive use of question marks there!!

Oooh Stokesley is nice as well, you can walk round the river easily.

You could have a cup of tea at Bettys in Northallerton.

I have ingrained childhood memories of climbin the wall at Saltburn, it has those large square stones.

Osmotherly on my to do list.

I will NEVER be a tourist, northerner born and bred.

Reality is probably that I will just be very senitmental and cry lots about the past.

I wonder if I can convince them that Yarm's viaducts are very exciting. I know they are to train enthusiasts. ARe the bluebell fields still there around the river?

Ahh see I am a northener (from Yarm) but when I go back I feel like a tourist, esp when I go with DH who is not from the N.E

No idea about bluebell fields around Yarm which is shameful because I was there at the beginning of this week lots of flats there now.

The tees barrage over the new infinity bridge is a pleasant walk on a sunny evening. Whitby obviously a must. You can get the train from yarm and got to york for an exciting tourist day out and then visit the railway museum. Moors trip to heartbeat land etc..., preston park is ok if there is an even on but generally a bit tatty and the tent exhibition isnt there yet but hope ts comming. Dalton Park for a shoppig trip, Monk farm is a nice day out and about 30 mins drive from teeside towards yarm, Adventure pooint near morton park at darlington for soft play fun and outside adventure, ermmmmm hire a bouncy castle and have a traditional rowdy teesside bbq (dh hires em out so i know the form lol), id idnt know about the visitor centre at sutton bank , ok ermmm a nice toby carvery at wolviston billingham - yumtastic!, ropner park is nicer and the new park on ingleby barwick opens 7th July ish and they are having some event around it im sure. A suggets ice cream at great ayton before you go to captain cooks monument. Thats al li can think of for the mo.........

bumping - going up there at the weekend!

Any more thoughts?

The kids should like Lightwater Valley - I always do anyway!! Wensleydale Railway is very quaint - goes from Leeming Bar to Redmire via Hawes I think.