A Wonderful Week in Yorkshire with Forest Holidays

We have just returned from a glorious week spent in Yorkshire staying with Forest Holidays in Cropton. Our accommodation was a beautiful, well equipped Golden Oak lodge situated in a woodland meadow, in the heart of Cropton Forest. The site benefits from having a Forest Retreat, where guests can meet the team, enjoy a meal or a drink, book activities and buy selected groceries. They also have a great takeaway service where you can order a pizza to be delivered to your lodge and a bakery ordering service so you can get freshly baked bread, croissants and pain au chocolats made to order in the mornings. We sampled both the pizza and the breakfast goods - both are delicious!

Our lodge had three bedrooms (one double, two twin), with very comfy beds, two bathrooms, plus a large open plan living area with a good kitchen (with microwave, dishwasher, oven, hob and all crockery and utensils) complete with dining area. A large flat screen TV allowed us to enjoy some great movies in the evening, taking advantage of the Forest Holidays pre-bookable in-cabin entertainment package. This gave us unlimited wifi, access to over 125 movie titles (which included Cinderella, Focus, The Boy Next Door, Fifty Shades of Grey and Big Hero 6) and the Sky channels including Sports for the duration of our stay. (This costs from £35 and we were well impressed with it.)

The outdoor hot tub really is a wonderful addition to the lodge and we used it everyday. Freddy absolutely adored his hot tub time as did I! It was blissfully warm and relaxing. Toiletries in the bathrooms were a nice touch, and there were robes and slippers for Ian and I to use, along with fluffy hot tub towels provided for everyone. We also had a log burner in the cabin, which we used to make a roaring fire on the cooler nights.

The lodge was very comfortable, spacious, light and airy and yet still homely with lovely artwork and sumptuous furnishings. The views of the forest through the huge windows gave a magical feel to the accommodation, connecting you to the nature outside.

There are some lovely walks and cycle routes around the site, where we enjoyed spotting the flora and fauna of the forest. We saw plenty of rabbits, birds and bats during our stay. There are deer in the forest but they proved too elusive for us to spot. My favourite wildlife spotting was made whilst we enjoyed a sunset hot tub session when a barn owl flew directly overhead carrying some prey in its talons. That was something I had never witnessed before and I was pretty excited!

The Forest Holidays site is a perfect base for exploring the North Yorkshire Moors and the coast is just a half hour's drive away. Nearby towns include Pickering, Helmsley, Whitby and Scarborough, with the city of York being an hour away.

We spent a day at nearby Dalby Forest, which is a massive area of national park land featuring a visitor's centre, forest walks, cycle trails, adventure playgrounds, an activity centre, Go Ape, a shop and cafe. Parking is £7 for the day, and you can drive between the areas within the forest throughout your visit.

Freddy loved the well equipped adventure playground which had things to climb and clamber over, swing in, spin on and jump off! A stream ran past this part of the forest and children were paddling and splashing in the water. It was a real wonderland for the kids. The cafe was lovely for a quick snack and a coffee and had lots of outdoor seating.

We went for a lakeside walk around Staindale Lake, which was lovely with good paths and boardwalks and with plenty to explore. It is such a pretty area and very peaceful.

I did a bit of research before we left and discovered that English Heritage had several sites in the area that we were staying in. Whitby Abbey, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, is a lovely gothic ruins overlooking the coastal town of Whitby. (After the castle we walked around Whitby and had a brilliant lunch of vegetarian Homity Pie, mash, peas and gravy in the quaint, old Humble Pie shop!) Helmsley Castle and Pickering Castle are interesting places to explore, both found in bustling market towns. Scarborough Castle is a big clifftop castle overlooking the North Sea. It was hosting a Clash of the Knights tournament while we were there, which was really great fun. The kids got to meet the knights, try out different helmets and weapons, cheer on their favourite teams in battle and Freddy even learned how to sword fight.

Having the English Heritage membership gives us access to 400 sites around the UK. Using it for some of our holiday days out, virtually paid for the price of 12 months membership, so was well worth doing. It's definitely worth having for family days out and if you do decide to buy one check Google for discount codes, I saved myself 20%!

Whilst we were visiting Scarborough for the castle, we decided to spend some time exploring the seaside town. Unfortunately the weather turned making our beach visit a bit grey and gloomy, but we had our waterproofs and were undeterred by the unpredictability of English summertime. We bought some sticks of rock, dodged the over zealous hordes of seagulls and looked round the souvenir shops. Scarborough reminded me so much of my own family holidays when I was a child, there was a real sense of nostalgia as I walked along the seafront with its array of amusements and shops selling nick-nacks, buckets and spades. Scarborough has a fantastic vegan restaurant called the Calf Cafe, where we had lunch. The food was divine. Their Peanut Butter Cheesecake was out of this world!

We used our Merlin Annual Passes to visit the SeaLife Centre, which had some adorable seals, free roaming penguins and a fabulous display of jellyfish to keep us all enthralled.

We visited York one day, where we again used our Merlin Annual Pass, this time for the York Dungeons, which is always fun. We walked around The Shambles and visited some shops. We had lunch in a lovely vegetarian cafe in York called Goji where I had an Indian platter with chapatti, coconut dahl, a samosa, pakoras and salad. It was delicious. We went to the Fudge Kitchen and were delighted to find that they stock vegan Dairy Free fudge so stocked up on some Salted Caramel fudge for Megan.

We packed so much into our week in Yorkshire. There was a lot of stuff we didn't have time for, (like the Eden Camp, exploring more of the North Yorkshire moors or riding the steam railway from Pickering to Whitby) but we really enjoyed the things we did. We loved the Cropton site with its walks through the forest and we adored our lodge home, which we always enjoyed going back to at the end of a busy day, having a relaxing hot tub session before settling down to a good movie.

Forest Holidays are great for all the family from the youngest to the oldest. My grown up girls loved it as much as their little brother did. We all had a fabulous time, making some brilliant memories of quality family time spent walking, climbing, exploring, playing and eating some good vegetarian meals! We love Yorkshire and definitely plan to return!

Find out more about Forest Holidays and their nine stunning locations at www.forestholidays.co.uk.


I was offered a discount against the cost of this holiday.

Clash of Knights! at Beeston Castle

Last month we discovered the wonderful English Heritage site, Beeston Castle.  It is a great place for a family day out and we enjoyed exploring the remains of the historical castle and walking through the beautiful wooded areas.  Today, Beeston Castle took on a completely different atmosphere as it played host to the adrenalin fuelled event Clash of Knights!

Clash of Knights! allowed us to step into England's past and experience the excitement of Medieval combat up close, as four teams of knights battled it out to become the champions in the ultimate tournament of historical combat.  A recreated "Crest Melee" saw the knights meet head-on in a contest of skill and strength as they attempted to knock crests from the opposing captain's helmets, armed with shields and clubs.

Living history encampments, performances of period music and a class for little knights in training gave us plenty to do.  Freddy's favourite colour is blue, so we allied ourselves with the Blue Team of knights from the North.  We got to meet them, try out their weapons and armour and cheer them on in battle.  Freddy was kitted out in the team T-shirt and had a flag to wave to show his support for the Blues. He absolutely loved it! We all learned a lot about the Anglo Norman period of English history and discovered what life as a knight was really like.  All the knights were very knowledgeable and passionate about what they did.

As well as enjoying the event, we were able to climb up the hill to the ruins of Beeston Castle, which is a lovely walk with glorious views across the surrounding countryside.  Freddy was armed with his wooden replica of a Great Sword and looked like he was ready to lay siege to the castle as he charged up the hill. The history of the place really came to life for him today.  That is the real beauty of these English Heritage events.  They give children an insight into the rich history of our country, bringing it to life in a way that history books simply can't do.  The sights, sounds, energy and excitement of a Medieval tournament were perfectly delivered in a thoroughly entertaining way.

Freddy's choice of team to support was spot on, because after some very thrilling, testosterone fuelled battles, the Blue Knights of the North emerged victorious!  We had another great day at Beeston Castle.

                           

Beeston Castle is one of over 400 historic sites run by English Heritage.  They put on hundreds of action packed events throughout the year including Nature Trails, Knight Schools and combat reconstructions. Members of English Heritage receive free entry to the sites for themselves and up to six accompanying children under 19, making it a great value way to keep the family entertained.  Annual single adult membership is £48.

Find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk/

We received a Media Pass so we could attend a Clash of Knights event being held at Beeston Castle on August 10th and 11th.

I am a member of the Netmums Blogging Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team to review products and brands on their behalf. I have been paid expenses and supplied with a product sample for this review but retain all editorial control. All my Netmums Reviews will display the Netmums logo within the post. 

                                               

A Visit to Beeston Castle

Standing majestically on a sheer rocky crag in Cheshire, with unrivalled views across eight counties of England and Wales stands Beeston Castle.  Surrounded by 40 acres of beautiful woodland, this English Heritage site boasts an abundance of wildlife and some wonderful woodland walks.  With 4000 years of history, Beeston Castle brings England's past to life and offers action packed events throughout the year.

We spent a wonderful afternoon visiting Beeston Castle yesterday.  The weather was pleasantly warm and Freddy was wearing his favourite accessory of the moment, his Superman cape, ready for his adventure. 

After entering Beeston through the Victorian ticket office, you walk into a lovely grassy area from which you can get to the different paths leading up to the castle or to the circular woodland walk that goes around the site.  We chose the least steep of the walks up the hill that followed the outer ward wall.  It was a lovely walk with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.  There was plenty of scope for exploring the ruined walls and lots of space for the children to run freely. 

A rather steep, modern bridge crosses the rock-cut ditch that surrounds the castle, leading you through the gatehouse and into the inner ward of the castle.  On top of the hill, the views are amazing.  It was a clear, bright day and we could clearly see the Jodrell bank telescope, some 18 miles away, as well as the Welsh mountains, the Wrekin, Ellesmere Port, Chester and neighbouring Pickerton Castle.  It was beautiful up there.

A 100 metre deep well provided an opportunity to make our own echoes as we shouted "Hello!" down into the depths of darkness.  Thankfully there is a  metal mesh inside it to prevent anyone falling down the hole!  Richard II used the well to hide his treasure!  It is amazing to think of the history of the place, and of all the people that would have lived, fought battles and died on the ground where we stood.

The castle is remarkably well preserved and you can visualise what it must have looked like.  There are walls to rooms still standing with windows looking out across the countryside.  Freddy and Kizzy were enthralled with the castle, clambering up and jumping off rocks, looking at the scenery and discovering the flora and fauna.  There are lots of places to hide and lots of places to peep through.  Both Freddy and Kizzy absolutely loved playing together and running around in the fresh air.  

It was so nice to get away from it all and just enjoy the natural beauty of the countryside and the amazing history of the area.  Although it's easily accessible from the A49, Beeston is a world away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  It is a great place for inquisitive children to expend energy and explore the surroundings.  The shop has a "Castle of the Rock" exhibition which gave us an insight into what life was like at Beeston over the last 4000 years.  A model of how the castle would have looked during its prime was of great interest to Freddy who asked if it was "how it was before it got broken?!"  It was very interesting to see artifacts and learn the history of the castle.

After buying some ice creams and a toy dragon from the shop, we left Beeston feeling well exercised after our walk in the fresh air.  We slept well last night!

Beeston Castle is one of over 400 historic sites run by English Heritage.  They put on hundreds of action packed events throughout the year including Nature Trails, Knight Schools and combat reconstructions.  Members of English Heritage receive free entry to the sites for themselves and up to six accompanying children under 19, making it a great value way to keep the family entertained.  Annual single adult membership is £48.

Find out more at www.english-heritage.org.uk/

We received a Media Pass so we could carry out this review and another later in the year, when we plan to attend a Clash of Knights event being held at Beeston Castle on August 10th and 11th.

I am a member of the Netmums Blogging Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team to review products and brands on their behalf. I have been paid expenses and supplied with a product sample for this review but retain all editorial control. All my Netmums Reviews will display the Netmums logo within the post. 

                                               

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