Countdown to the Strid Woods Spooktacular!

If you go down to Strid Woods to play, you’re sure of a spooky surprise! It’s ghoulish witches, grisly spells and hidden pumpkins all the way for the Bolton Abbey Halloween Pumpkin Trail 

We love everything about Bolton Abbey – it’s an amazing gem on our doorsteps and we make use of our season tickets whenever we can - the changing seasons and packed schedule of fantastic activities mean that no two visits are ever the same and the Pumpkin Trail looks set to be a real highlight.

From 27 October – 4 November, the Pumpkin Trail (which is pram-friendly) set up in the woods will enchant little ones and get them in the mood for Halloween. As you wander through Strid Wood, there’ll be hidden pumpkins to search for as well as low-flying witches to dodge! All the while, you’ll be looking out for clues to unravel a grisly spell. Our little ones loved this last year so we can’t wait to do it again!

Alongside the Halloween event, Bolton Abbey offers the whole family the chance to explore the ruins of the priory as well as riverside, woodland and moorland paths (there are more than 80 miles of footpaths, many of which are pushchair friendly). And if you need to refuel afterwards, we think the newly-refurbished Cavendish Pavilion is great for kids! The fab menu includes children’s lunchboxes and they are happy to provide smaller kids’ portions on request. There are baby-changing facilities, high-chairs, a pushchair-friendly entrance and layout as well as stuff to do to keep toddlers amused until the food arrives.
 

The Cavendish Pavilion is also set to host fun-filled Halloween children's parties during the October half term (29 Oct - 2 Nov) with The Wonderful Witch of Wharfedale - an afternoon of games, music, activities and story telling. Tasty tucker for all the little imps includes Bat Sandwiches and Creepy Cupcakes, Spooky Spider Pizzas and Dead Man’s Fingers, Ghoulish Goulash and Devil’s Couldron and much more – all freshly prepared to satisfy witch’s helpers and grizzly grown-ups!

Normal admission to the estate applies (it’s £6 per car and the estate opens at 9am every day) and the Pumpkin Trail is free. It's £4.95 per child for the Halloween Parties. Simply collect a trail sheet at the Sandholme Kiosk, Cavendish Shop or Dusty Bluebells on arrival. 

For more information about the Pumpkin trail and everything Bolton Abbey has to offer, visit their website at www.boltonabbey.com 

If you haven’t already then head to Bolton Abbey…

If you’ve been part of the MooBaa massive for a while now, you’ll know that we are a little bit crazy in love with Bolton Abbey. It’s the most beautiful place simply for a stroll, to learn to skim stones, negotiate stepping stones or for a family adventure in the woods.

Explore the woods

There’s so much to do there without any additional activities but when they lay them on, the people at Bolton Abbey always get it right. There’s icing and sprinkles on the cake next (wild!) Wednesday (29th August), children are invited to discover the nature and wildlife in Strid Wood and take part in the wild Wednesday trail to see if they can score the most points. Finish back at the Cavendish Pavilion to have a go at the senses activity. Free activity, normal admission applies and again children must be supervised by an adult. Collect a free trail activity sheet on arrival at Sandholme kiosk.

Kite making

So that’s Wednesday sorted. How are you fixed for Fridays? If it’s a funday Friday you’re after then look no further than August 24th and 31st. From 11am -3pm, come along and enjoy a family day out and have fantastic fun playing with large outdoor games for FREE (normal admission applies) You can also learn how to make your very own kite, for just £2 or for those who have energy to burn off why not let them have fun on the bouncy castle for just £1 per go.

And if that’s not enough, until 24th August there’s still the fantastic sports trail to check out! Sporting scenes will be recreated along the Green Trail in Strid Wood (great for pushchairs) with some displays being interactive for the kids to have a go at! See if you can find all the different events as you weave your way through the wood to make it to the podium. Collect a free activity booklet on arrival.

If that doesn’t swing you for a visit we don’t know what will…stress-free parking? Great family-friendly food at the Cavendish Pavilion café? Fresh air and amazing scenery? It’s all there and it’s all on our doorstep. Introduce your kids to it and watch them fall a little bit in love with it too. x

Loverly jubilee…crowns at the ready - Skipton gets ready to celebrate!

As bunting springs up across the town and the finishing touches are put to parties, jubilee fever is in full flow. It’s not an exhaustive list but we’ve got a run down of just a few of the things lined up over the bank holiday weekend to keep your little prince and princesses entertained…


It wouldn’t be any kind of jubilee without a street party and alongside the village dos planned in the area, there’ll be a fabulous celebration planned on Skipton High Street. From 10am till 10pm there’ll be live entertainment and family fun. If you’re looking for something to bake with the kids to take along to your nearest celebration then we love these Queen of Hearts tarts.

Queen of Hearts Tarts!

If you want to get out in the fresh air and celebrate then the jubilee treasure hunt at Bolton Abbey looks like a right royal treat. You’re invited to test your knowledge of British kings and queens as you take a walk in the beautiful Bolton Abbey countryside, looking for the queen’s missing crowns. Park at Bolton Abbey Village Car Park to follow the clues which begin as soon as you leave the car!

There’s also the Uptown Skipton Jubilee Treasure Hunt on June 2nd and 3rd. Find the hidden royals in 30 shops and businesses. There’s a treat for everyone who completes, plus a prize for the first correct entry pulled from the hat. You can pick up an entry form at any of the shops at High Corn Mill on Chapel Hill between 9am and 4pm.

Malham Safari

For more outdoor fun you could try the Malham Safari – this year with a jubilee theme. From 10am each day there will be crowns to look for around the village as well as the ‘safari train’ and royal barge ‘Gloriana’. They’ve got morris dancing, coconut shy, stream dipping, an archery and rifle range planned too as well as duck races every day!

Skipton Castle, with its royalist past, will be hosting a recreation of a medieval campsite in its grounds from 2nd to 4th June. The garrison will demonstrate their arms and armour as they bring the castle to life! 10am - 6pm (Sunday 12 noon - 6pm) The standard entrance fee applies with no extra charge.

Settle Play Barn is holding a teddy bears picnic on Sunday 3rd June 2-4pm with lots of fun for everyone! And if you fancy a break from queens and crowns, take a trip out with the king of the tracks – Thomas the tank engine himself at the Bolton Abbey Steam Railway (2-5th June) or learn all about tractors at a special event at Thornton Hall Country Park 34rd-4th June.

Enjoy!

We LOVE Hesketh Farm Park!

Hesketh Lamb

As far as ringing endorsements go, we can’t chime loudly enough about Hesketh Farm Park, near Bolton Abbey. Both halves of MooBaaKids and our families headed there on separate days out recently and agreed that it definitely warranted a bit of a tribute without further ado.

We’ve both been before with our kids and were literally counting down the days till this delightful farm re-opened for the season and could enchant (and wear out!) our enthusiastic little ones again. Every aspect of this picturesque hands-on day out has been really well thought through with something to captivate short attention spans at every turn and keep little visitors happily bouncing from one thing to the next.

The piglets

From doe-eyed calves to feed, to the hairy pigs who love a scratch with the brushes provided, Hesketh has it all! Our little girl was smitten with a Limousin calf called Lottie and fascinated by the tiny piglets. Alongside the calves and pigs, there are sheep with lambs and smaller animals to pet and feed.

Grooming the gorgeous Guineas!

The cheeping chicks had even the dads there cooing and the children couldn’t contain their delight at the guinea pigs to stroke and the bunnies to watch skitting about. The giant African tortoises Samson and Delilah were also a big hit and we were transfixed by them happily munching on a banana!

Samson or Delilah?

Once you leave the animals behind inside, there’s still indoor fun to come with slides, a straw bale maze, sand pit and toy tractors to ride. A welcome pit stop for the grown-ups too. We won’t lie – among our collective highlights of the day were the cappuccino, lemon cake, ginger biscuits and caramel short-bread!

Petting the chicks

We were both lucky with the weather on our visits so headed outside to see more of the animals – including chickens, goats, sheep – our daughter’s favourite was feeding carrots to the woolly donkeys who couldn’t wait to snaffle them up! She also loved the swings, slides and tyres in the play area.

Only minutes old!

Other highlights included seeing a newborn lamb stand up for the first time on wobbly legs, and the ride on the tractor/trailer with farmer Chris (it’’s an extra £1 per person in addition to the entrance fee but is well worth every penny in our toddlers’ opinions!) Our little one’s also loved the pedal tractors outside as well as looking for eggs in the hen houses.

Checking out the chickens

We hope we’ve described a bit of the magic for you – it really is a day of smiles and wonderment from start to finish. We can’t recommend it or the friendly helpful staff there highly enough. Whether it’s your first visit or a return trip, Hesketh is a friendly captivating whirl of farm family fun! x


For more information including opening times and admission prices visit www.heskethfarmpark.co.uk

Beat the blues, with local bluebells!

If there’s a more beautiful sight than a carpet of bluebells in the woods, then we can’t think of it at the moment! Spring is officially here, so to put the winter blues well and truly behind you, why not take the little ones for a stroll in a couple of weeks or so round the best local bluebell spots. There are loads to choose from (click here for a searchable database) but we’ve just picked a couple here to get you started…

We know we’re in danger of being Bolton Abbey bores, but we just LOVE the place and with a tearoom and gift shop called Dusty Bluebells, it’s no surprise that the woods on the estate are famed for their spectacular bluebell displays usually from late April (there were some already starting to come out when we went for the egg trail thanks to the early sunshine!) until late May. The woodlands are amazing at the best of times, but become really magical with all the bluebells and the colour-coded nature trails suit all ages and abilities – the green trail is great for prams and pushchairs and follows the west bank of the River Wharfe from the recently refurbished Cavendish Pavilion to the Strid.

For those not reliant on pushchairs, there’s a fab two and a half mile walk round Middleton Woods in Ilkley. Ideal for little legs or babies in carriers, the bluebells here are really spectacular too! The details in the Telegraph & Argus link above are great and it’s well worth a trip (with maybe a little treat at the family-friendly Betty’s afterwards?)

Before you set off, don’t forget to download the Woodland Trust’s Nature Detectives FREE activity sheets , crammed with tips on how to distinguish the native English bluebell (true blue!) from the Spanish invaders and other fun facts and activities.

Enjoy!
x

We can’t wait for Bolton Abbey’s Easter eggstravaganza!

Exploring the woodland by the River Wharfe, where it flows through this spectacular, narrow gorge, is a brilliant experience at any time of the year. But throw an Easter bunny and chocolate eggs into the mix and you’ve got the perfect day out with the little ones.

Bolton Abbey is holding its fantastic Easter Trail on the 6, 7, 8, 9th April, at any time between 10am and 4pm. For the standard entry price of just £6 per car, you collect your free map of the egg hunt from either the Sandholme car park or the Cavendish shop and follow the Easter bunny’s trail of eggs.

As you hop from one colourful egg to the next, you’ll meander to the Strid and back – about two miles in total on pram-friendly trails, taking in the backdrop of the woods in Spring time as you go. There will also be an anagram displayed along the route to keep you occupied.

The beautiful trails are great for letting children let off steam in the fresh air and there’s plenty to see aside from the egg search as you go. From the fast flowing waters, to the trees and wildlife, there’s something at every turn to keep little ones entertained and enthused as they enjoy the ancient trails. The Easter bunny will be waiting outside the Cavendish Pavilion with mini eggs for all children who complete the hunt. We can’t think of a more perfect way to round off an egg-citing day out! x

Loving all the seasons at Bolton Abbey!

We did the St Valentine Trail at Strid Wood last month and fell head over heels in love…with the entire Bolton Abbey Estate!

Actually, our love affair with this gorgeous place actually started a long time ago, when we were little and we’re loving taking our own children to explore what we think is a gem on our doorsteps.
So much so that we are now in possession of a Season Ticket. It’s £60 and allows the holder free unlimited admission to Bolton Abbey for 12months (from the date of purchase), for all the family travelling in one vehicle during opening hours. We think this is fab value – and there are some great discounts and vouchers that come along with it too!

The ticket arrived in the post today and we can’t wait to enjoy everything that the estate has to offer – from the priory, to Barden Tower along the beautiful nature trails and riverside setting.
We’ll be first in line for the brilliant events that are planned this year: the Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin Trail, Father Christmas and 12 Days of Christmas. Not to mention picnics in the Summer, lazy days paddling and trying to spot the elusive deer.
We’re also going to check out Messy Mondays, Wild Wednesdays and Funday Fridays, as well as the Priory Fete.


As an unexpected bonus – not only do you get unlimited access to Bolton Abbey but (at the time of writing, Feb 2012) there are also discounts at the Village and Cavendish Shops and Pavilion eatery, plus a buy one drink get one free offer at MooBaaKids users’ favourite - Buffers.


As well as that there are vouchers to use at the Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel and Spa and the Devonshire Fell. Two for one afternoon tea anyone?! For our little train enthusiasts, the icing on the cake is that with the season ticket, one person travels FREE when accompanied by a full fare paying passenger at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. (This offer does not include Bank Holidays and special events)

For more information about season tickets and to check the latest offers and discounts click HERE or call 01756 718009.

We plan to make lots of use of ours and will let you know what we think when we’ve checked them all out! We’ll see you there! x

LOVE is in the air…

Why should loved-up grown-ups have all the fun on Valentine’s Day? For toddlers, there’s plenty in life that they LOVE and the 14th February is a great excuse to celebrate it! If you fancy heading out, there’s the Valentine’s Trail at beautiful Bolton Abbey where you meander along the pram-friendly paths searching for love – or symbols of it at least!


To look for love closer to home, why not play Hide the Hearts – a simple fun game for pre-schoolers. Cut out hearts from red or pink paper. Hide the hearts all around the house and start the clocks to give them five minutes to find as many as they can! The child who collects, the most hearts wins a prize. If you feel like cuddling up and staying in, then there’s always homemade popcorn and a love-themed film – we’re loving Tangled at the moment!

Painted hearts on stones

And if you’re little one is looking for a creative outlet and a chance to let someone know how special they are – there are a million ways to say I love you. Why not paint hearts on stones and then put them outside for people to find: click here for inspiration. 

Potato print heart cards

For a more traditional approach there are lots of ways your little one can make a gorgeous card. They’ll love creating something special for a loved one, and then heading to the post box to seal it with a kiss! Either these hand print cards or potato print heart cards would be perfect!

Love Heart toast (love!)

And as far as treats to eat, there’s plenty in the way of things to make…if you have a small heart-shaped cutter or are creative enough to go free-hand then a sweetheart fruit salad (great for finger food) could fit the bill nicely. Not quite as good for you but as nice as it is naughty, these love heart toasts look fantastic! 

Sweetheart fruit salad

Happy Valentine’s day all! xo

Father Christmas takes up residence at Bolton Abbey!

With the Christmas countdown now officially on we’re delighted to let you know that Santa himself is in residence at Bolton Abbey throughout December gearing up for the busiest day of his year!


Magical enough at the best of times, Bolton Abbey Estate cannot wait to host the visits from Father Christmas, Mrs Christmas and the elves to enchant little ones from across the area.


After a 4,000 mile journey from the North Pole, he will be resting in an old Romany caravan nestled in Strid Wood on the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th (fully booked), 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd December between 10am and 4pm.


You’re invited to wrap up warm and follow a trail of presents from Father Christmas' sleigh (parked outside the Cavendish Pavilion) to find where he is hidden in the woods (Only a 5 minute walk from the Cavendish Pavilion – suitable for pushchairs). Once you find him – you’ll also find that he has presents suitable for all ages, being sorted by Mrs Christmas and a merry band of elves!

To keep queuing to a minimum, the elves have devised a system giving each family a booking time. The visits by Father Christmas are always incredibly popular so it’s recommended you book now to avoid disappointment. The Estate Office can be contacted on 01756 718 000.


Tickets are £4.50 per child and normal admission to the estate applies. For those visiting Father Christmas, the Cavendish Pavilion will offer a free children’s hot drink with each full paying adult hot drink. There’s much to tempt you to keep the chill off – delicious hot chocolate or a yummy babychino for the little ones – frothy milk with chocolate sprinkles.


Also on at Bolton Abbey is the Winter Wonderland Christmas Gift Fair (3rd and 4th December) and the 12 Days of Christmas Trail (25th December – 5th January).

Strid Wood gets especially spooky for Halloween!

If you go down to Strid Woods next week, you’re sure of a big surprise…but as it’s almost Halloween you won’t find teddy bears picnicking – rather, ghoulish witches, grisly spells and hidden pumpkins!

We can’t play it cool when it comes to Bolton Abbey – we absolutely love it! The changing seasons and packed schedule of fantastic activities mean that no two visits are ever the same and the Pumpkin Trail and lantern carving look set to be a real highlight.

The estate offers more than 80 miles of footpaths – many of which are pushchair-friendly and clearly marked – with bags of space for little ones to take in the beautiful scenery on the banks of the Wharfe, enjoying the fresh air and letting off steam.

From 22 – 30 October, the Pumpkin Trail set up in the woods will enchant little ones during half term and get them in the mood for Halloween. As you wander through Strid Wood, there’ll be hidden pumpkins to search for as well as low-flying witches to dodge! All the while, you’ll be looking out for clues to unravel a grisly spell. Once back from your spooky stroll, children can join in with making their very own pumpkin lantern to take home. This activity also runs from 22-30 October between 10am and 4pm.

Normal admission to the estate applies (it’s £6 per car and the estate opens at 9am every day) and the Pumpkin Trail is free. Simply collect a trail sheet at the Sandholme Kiosk, Cavendish Shop or Dusty Bluebells on arrival. The walk is accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The pumpkin carving activity costs £3.50.

Alongside the Halloween event, Bolton Abbey offers the whole family the chance to explore the ruins of the priory as well as riverside, woodland and moorland paths. And if you need to refuel afterwards, we think the Cavendish Pavilion is great for kids! The fab menu includes children’s lunchboxes and they are happy to provide smaller kids’ portions on request. There are baby-changing facilities, high-chairs, a pushchair-friendly entrance and layout as well as stuff to do to keep toddlers amused until the food arrives.

For more information about the Pumpkin trail, lantern carving and everything Bolton Abbey has to offer, visit their website at www.boltonabbey.com

Checked rugs and sausage rolls…

We really don't want to jinx the weather so it continues to rain but we're going to risk it and give our local lowdown on top picnic spots. When the sun shines (and we must believe it will!), who doesn't want to head outside with a picnic rug and hamper stuffed with tempting goodies, and spend a day paddling and playing with the kids?


From Aireville Park in Skipton to the many miles of possible picnic smiles across the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales at places like Malham tarn (click here to find out what they've got planned for their open day on Saturday 6 August), finding top local places is as easy as (picnic) pie. All of the walks so far on www.moobaakids.co.uk feature places for snacks but we couldn’t leave it there. So pack the pink lemonade, sneak in a slice or two of cake, throw in a few scotch eggs, cut the crusts off your sandwiches just this once and follow us! (But before you do, you might want to print off a Woodland Trust nature detectives picnic activity booklet) 


Bolton Abbey – So it’s six quid per car to get in but once you’re in, you’re spoilt for choice! There is so much to do here by the riverside in this beautiful setting with fantastic pushchair-friendly walks taking in the aquaduct, stepping stones, money tree, strid and much more. They are happy for you to picnic on the estate and even barbecue in the southern section of the Sandholme car park!


Burnsall – We know it gets crazily busy on a fine day but that’s because it’s just such a perfect picnic spot. The magnificent five-arched bridge is a beautiful backdrop with grassy banks and benches along the river. There are plenty of shallow areas for paddling and you could even take a stroll upstream to the wobbly bridge! There’s a handy village shop and The Red Lion’s on the green too. Parking in the field car park costs £4 all day and there is a toilet block there to use.


Nearby Appletreewick is also on an exceptionally beautiful stretch of the river Wharfe. There are plenty of shallow places with large flat stones for paddling around - don’t forget your bucket and net for crayfish! The river can be approached at various points along a good path from Burnsall, or from a very short footpath off the main road through Appletreewick, near Mason’s campsite. This is signposted ‘Riverside’ and though there is a stile, the gate was also unlocked for use when we were there a couple of weeks ago. There are two family-friendly pubs in the village – The Craven Arms and the New Inn.

Linton Falls is another one of those places that attracts lots of visitors and can easily be walked to from Grassington down the walled footpath Sedber Lane or ‘Snake Path’ (it’s quite steep), off Hebden Road at the National Park Centre, where there’s also parking. There is a footbridge straddling the river and lots to see such as the falls, white water sections near the old mill sluice gates and there are stepping stones too. The gentle grassy areas make a perfect picnic place to take it all in.

We know there must be some more lovely remote spots we could have included but with little ones in mind, we’ve stuck quite close to civilisation for these suggestions! So you don’t get caught out don’t forget the suncream, baby wipes, and lots of drink (for them, not the grown-ups!) Oh, and it completely goes without saying but we feel like we just should – pay special attention to any little ones playing near water.


If you have any brilliant ideas for local places to picnic, any hidden gems or hints on tasty treats to put in the hamper we'd love to hear them x

PS We'll be running a competition (via our facebook page) tomorrow so that people who share their suggestions and tips for great parks to visit and places to go for picnics, could win a family day ticket to the forthcoming Beacons festival... watch this space!