Things to do in Yorkshire

September 21, 2011 6:24 AM

Recommendations for things to do and places to visit in or around the town of Skipton, North Yorkshire next week.

My family and I are staying in a cottage in Skipton next week and we're looking for things to do, nice places to eat and so on. We have a car, so are willing to drive a reasonable distance. Also, one of us is in a wheelchair, so no rock climbing or cross-country hiking or anything like that!

Thanks in advance.

posted by afx237vi to travel & transportation around United Kingdom (11 answers total)

Skipton Castle is certainly well worth a visit.
posted by salmacis at 6:37 AM on September 21, 2011

What sort of range are you thinking about? Bolton Abbey's the obvious nearby stately pile. Harrogate's not that far away, nor is Settle if you want to spend a day on the railway. If you're up to travelling much of the length of the Dales, and the weather's clement, then the road north up to Aysgarth Falls is lovely. (Telegraph write-up of a circuit that begins and ends in Skipton, going up to Aysgarth, then to Ripon, Fountains Abbey and other stops along the way.)
posted by holgate at 6:39 AM on September 21, 2011

Mother Shipton's Cave is 25 miles away.
posted by galaksit at 6:42 AM on September 21, 2011

My best friend lives just outside of Wakefield, a little south of where you will be and here's some of the things she has taken me to see and do, whenever I visit her on holiday. We usually take the car - these have been day trips:

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Thirsk, where "James Herriot" had his practice - some lovely tearooms around there.

Castle Howard if you want to go towards York and see the Cathedral

Then again, I was a foreign tourist, so some of these things may not be quite what you're looking for :)
posted by infini at 6:47 AM on September 21, 2011

What sort of range are you thinking about?

Anywhere within, say, an hour's drive. Great suggestions so far. Keep 'em coming.
posted by afx237vi at 6:49 AM on September 21, 2011

And if you do go out by Thirsk, then the Mouseman of Kilburn's visitor center is worth a looksee - he carves a small mouse on every piece of furniture he makes.
posted by infini at 6:57 AM on September 21, 2011

The area around Malham is very pretty. It is best for country walks, but if you like the outdoors, it's worth asking ringing their tourist office about wheelchair friendly routes. If you've seen Harry Potter 7 (part 1), the bit where they camp on a weird stony landscape is the top of Malham Tarn. (I spent a long weekend there earlier this year).

Skipton also has a famous fish and chip shop by the canal.
posted by tavegyl at 7:03 AM on September 21, 2011

One of my favourite pubs for dining, The Fleece is less than 10 miles away in Addingham.
posted by nofunnyname at 7:17 AM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Correction: Malham Cove, ie the cliff, has the weird stony landscape, not Malham Tarn, which of course, is a lake. And the top isn't wheelchair accessible from the foot - you have to climb a lot of stairs - though there might be other paths up.
posted by tavegyl at 7:20 AM on September 21, 2011

I used to live there, it's a lovely area. You could spend an afternoon at the Yorkshire Dales Falconry Centre on the A 65 near Settle and get to meet, among others, Vera the Lappet Faced Vulture.
posted by joannemullen at 7:27 AM on September 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Settle to Carlisle railway is a must do, as is Skipton castle.
There's also the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway which is virtually on the outskirts of Skipton.
A scenic drive through the Yorkshire Dales is a good idea - accessability info here.
You could probably get to Blackpool in an hour...or Morecambe.
If one of you like books - Sedbergh is a book town.
Skipton is right on the Leeds Liverpool canal so there must be a bit of scenic towpath you can trundle along. The good thing about towpaths is you know they're always going to be flat.
If you drive south of Skipton it takes you into Bronte country (Howarth) and then into those nice old mill towns in upper Calderdale like Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, but I don't know if they're any good for wheelchairs (especially Howarth which is on a steep hill).
Personally, I think York's a bit over-rated...city-centre car parks are small and ridiculously expensive and not even that close to the shops. I don't know if the Park and Ride buses are accessible. Train station is walkable from the shops without being particularly close.
One of my favourite spots in the Dales is Semer Water. You can actually park your car on the stony shore of the lake (one of few in the Dales) and just sit in the car and admire the view across the water to the hills.
Some people like Carnforth station because 'Brief Encounter' was filmed there.
posted by Deor at 8:59 AM on September 21, 2011