Another Sunday, another National Trust visit. We’re getting some cracking value out of our memberships.
Today we opted for East Riddlesden Hall, which is close to Keighley and only around an hour from our house. We weren’t sure whether the weather would hold out – there was a distinct threat of rain! But we thought we’d chance it, particularly as our toddler couldn’t care less about the weather.
East Riddlesden Hall for Young Children – Quick Review
We loved:
- An amazing Discovery Garden with mud pie kitchen (more on that later)
- Good baby changing facilities
- Great playground
- Games on the lawn
- Plenty of parking meaning cars aren’t too close together. Important when you’re trying to get kids, car seats and prams out!
- Children’s snack boxes available in the cafe
To bear in mind:
- This isn’t an ideal place for a pram really. The paths in the garden are fine but you can’t take the pram into the house
East Riddlesden Hall Price and Location
- Parking is free for everyone
- Access to the property is £6.55 per adult (or £7.25 Gift Aid)
- It’s £3.00 (or £3.40 gift aid) for children aged 5 and over
- Under 5s are free
- National Trust members go free too
You’ll find it here:
A Bite to Eat
We arrived just before lunch time and our two year old’s appetite works like clockwork. There’s nothing like a “hangry,” 2 year old to make a difficult day, so we decided to get some lunch before exploring.
The little team room is lovely. There’s a downstairs area if you have prams and what not. But you’ll need to go upstairs to get your food and drink to bring back down. That said, there are signs on the table specifying that if you have mobility difficulties, someone will come to you.
I popped up, got sandwiches for myself and husband, teas and, of course, a children’s sandwich box for the little one.
It was about £16 for the 3 of us to eat and drink, which I think is reasonable when compared with the price of other attractions.
The House and Gardens
We typically stick with gardens when we go to places like this as our toddler doesn’t yet have the attention span for the houses… and it’s often less than ideal when he takes off at 30mpg running though centuries old corridors singing “The Wheels on the Bus,” at the top of his voice!
So we headed for the garden.
Out on the main lawn there were bowls to play with, which kept him busy for a while! He also absolutely loved going around the gardens, spying the flowers and exploring the hidden nooks and crannies.
The we spied the sign for the Discovery Garden! Following the arrows, we made our way through a little wooded area with log made seating and out into Oliver’s favourite part of the whole place.
The Discovery Garden
The Discovery Garden at East Riddlesden hall was, without doubt, the highlight for Oliver. In fact, it’s great for toddlers and young children probably up to about 5 or 6, I’d say.
Here are the activities available in this area:
The area is a great size with loads to do.
We spent an hour and a half in this little area. The adorable hobbit house was a hit with our son.
There was so much to do in this little area. The hobbit house was a great attraction, of course. But the Mud Pie Kitchen was probably our toddler’s favourite thing in the whole place. He made so many pies and spent ages in there. So much fun for the little ones.
He enjoyed building dens too and balancing along the logs.
Even if this were the only thing at East Riddlesden Hall, we’d still go back!
Playground
There is also an adventure playground at East Riddlesden Hall with a large slide, balance beams and other equipment. This was popular with children of all ages!
Other Facilities
High chairs in the cafe, a place to leave your pram while you venture around the house and baby changing facilities are all provided, making it a great family day out.
We’ll be back!
