Whether you’re a parent worrying about keeping your children entertained this half-term or just looking for a bit of early-summer fun, the Harrogate district and beyond has lots on offer to keep a smile on the whole family’s face.

From a day at the races to castle tours, we have collated a list of activities taking place over and around the May half-term period.

Fun for all the family: Doncaster Races

Derby Day Rocks feat. Magic Queen

If you’re looking for something to keep both parents and children happy, Derby Day Rocks at Doncaster Racecourse could be the perfect way to spend the half-term weekend!

With 8 races to be enjoyed, as well as a live streaming of Epsom Derby to watch, and even a Queen Tribute act, it’s no doubt your day will rock.

Derby Day Rocks will take place on Saturday, June 3 – gates open at 11.30am.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Stray Ferret has teamed up with Doncaster Racecourse to bring you discounted County tickets! Watch all the races from the second floor of the main stand – the perfect place to see your winning horse cross the finish line.

To buy your discounted tickets, click here – be quick!

Superhero Family Fun Day Raceday

If you’re thinking of merging some belated half-term fun with Father’s Day celebrations, then Doncaster Racecourse has another event which will be sure to make the whole family smile!

While parents can enjoy 7 horse races, children can meet their favourite superheroes, dance at the disco, and even go on the fairground rides! What more could you ask for?

Superhero Family Day will take place on Sunday, June 18 – the first race begins at 2.15pm.

The Stray Ferret has teamed up with Doncaster Racecourse to bring you discounted tickets Grandstand admission! This gives you access to public bars, eateries, betting outlets and views on the racing action including the parade ring and pre-parade ring.

Get your discounted adult tickets here — be quick! The tickets will sell out fast.

For a little bit of history…

Ripley Castle

If you’re interested in embracing both the history our local area has to offer, as well as some beautiful gardens in bloom, then Ripley Castle will be the perfect solution!

Enjoy six of the Castle’s rooms on your guided tour and bring a taste of history to life this half-term.

Take a stroll around the Castle’s Walled Gardens to discover the beauty nature has on offer, including an extensive collection of hyacinths, a variety of tree specimens and an abundance of spring flowers. The range of hot houses contain an impressive range of tropical plants, ferns and cacti, whilst ancient wisteria and clematis trail across the south-facing walls.

The Walled kitchen garden contains an extraordinary herb bed and many rare vegetables.

Get lost in the deer park in the grounds of the Castle and meet plenty of wildlife along your way — including fallow deer and herons.

To add to all the excitement, the Stray Ferret has teamed up with Ripley Castle to bring our readers 2-for-1 admission over the half term period — meaning two adults and two children can enjoy a guided castle tour, as well as the gardens and grounds for just £15! Now that will be a happy half-term…

Click here to buy tickets.

One for the parents in need…

Whittaker’s Gin

If you’re a parent looking to let off some steam this half-term — or simply just love gin — then Whittaker’s Gin will be exactly what you’re looking for!

Whittaker’s Gin Distillery, the home of all things gin (and now whisky), is located in Dacre Banks, just outside Harrogate.

Enjoy a complimentary G&T on arrival followed by a tour with the Whittaker’s distillers around the distillery, where they will go through the gin and whisky production process, and then into the whisky barrel warehouse.

When you get back into the bar area, there will be a  sit down tasting of 9 different gins with delicious nibbles of Weatherheads Butcher’s pork pies.

To round off, there is another complimentary G&T of your choice or alternatively you can take a 5cl bottle home to have your G&T later.

With our exclusive offer, Stray Ferret readers can enjoy two tickets for the price of one! The voucher offer grants you and a guest access to the guided distillery tour, as well as the extras mentioned above.

Click here to buy your ticket — hurry…these are selling fast!

For some summer air… 

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden:

May half-term Trail

For those that enjoy that great outdoors, Fountains Abbey’s May half-term trail may be a good option.

Visitors can explore the ‘sanctuary for nature’ in the Deer Park. Learn about the variety of wildlife that resides in the grounds by exploring grassland, freshwater, woodland and much more!

No booking is needed, and the trail is free to enjoy.

The trail will take place within the Deer Park from May, 27, to June, 4, between 10am and 4.30pm.

Find more information here.

Create your own mini bug house!

Fountains Abbey is also hosting a drop-in workshop in which visitors can design and create their very own bug house.

Once complete, attendees can explore the estate to gather some wriggly residents for their bug house! The perfect recipe to combine fresh air and crafts…

The workshop is free to attend but normal admission charges for the venue apply – a family ticket is £27.

The workshop will take place in Swanley Grange – located near the Visitor Centre – from May 27 to June 4, between 11am and 3pm.

Click here for more information.

Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park:

Flower Power Nature Weaving

To continue the mixture of fresh air and creativity, Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park, near Ripon, is inviting families to take part in its Flower Power Nature Weaving.

Visitors can pick up a collectors bag from the ticket office and venture through the park to see what nature provides to weave into the Earth Loom.

The event will take place daily from May 27 to June 4, from 10am.

For more information, click here.

To shelter from the (potential) rain…

Harrogate Theatre: The ‘Not So’ Grimm Twins

For those of you looking for a potential rainy-day activity, Harrogate Theatre’s production of The ‘Not So” Grimm Twins could be a good option for you.

Storytellers, Jake and Will Grimm, will guide you through some re-worked versions of your favourite fairy tales and will need the audiences help along the way!

The play will take place on Saturday, May 27 at 11am and 2pm.

Tickets start at £12 – click here for more information.

One of the most spectacular properties in the Harrogate district has gone on the market for £8 million.

Studley Royal House is situated in the National Trust-owned Studley Royal deer park, with views across the park and beyond to Ripon Cathedral.

The park, which extends to about 800 acres, was modelled by Capability Brown and is part of the only UNESCO world heritage site in Yorkshire.

The house is in the deer park. Pic: Savills

Located close to Fountains Abbey, the grade two listed house has eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms and six reception rooms. The main bedroom has two en-suite bathrooms.

The house was originally the stables for the Aislabie family’s mansion on the Studley Royal estate. It was occupied by Queen Ethelburga’s College during the war.

The dining room. Pic: Savills

Crispin Holborow, of agents Savills, said:

“Studley Royal is a beautiful Palladian country house which lives up to its grade II* classification.

“It sits within a World Heritage site, giving it complete protection as well as the opportunity to enjoy Studley Royal Park without the burden of management.

“It is the perfect house for entertaining and requires minimum looking after.”

The drawing room. Pic: Savills

Read more:

• Ripon firm Farmison to trade again after buyout completed
• Ripon Grammar School rated ‘good’ by Ofsted

This story is sponsored by the National Trust.

Finding something to do at the weekend can be challenging, especially if you have dogs, but the National Trust team at Fountains Abbey say they’re on a mission to make it easy. 

Under the National Trust’s Paw Print dog-friendliness scheme, the attraction has been named a three-paw site – the highest possible rating. 

Jenni Shepherd, senior marketing and communications officer at the National Trust, said:

“We’re always getting comments about how welcoming we are to dogs at Fountains Abbey.

“The admissions team even has doggy treats on hand for the waggiest tails!” 

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and includes the ruins of the medieval monastery, the Georgian water garden and the deer park.

Where you lead, your dog can follow!

Visiting dog-walkers can see all the historic attractions up close, as well as following paths around the site and trails through surrounding woodland.

“When people see the amazing abbey ruins, they often think they can’t possibly take a dog there, but actually at Fountains, dogs can go pretty much everywhere their owners do,” said Jenni. 

“We get a lot of tourists visiting from other areas of the country, where historic sites perhaps don’t welcome dogs so readily, and so they think they can’t bring their dogs here either.

“But Fountains Abbey is actually one of the best places to bring a dog. 

“There are drinking stations and dog waste bins throughout, and there’s a wide range of pet products for sale in the Visitor Centre shop.

“There’s even dog-friendly ice-cream available at the Studley refreshment kiosk and in the Visitor Centre restaurant. 

“Your dog can go everywhere you go. Dogs are even allowed in the deer park, as long as they’re kept on a short lead.” 

Woodland walks are a favourite pastime among dog-owners visiting Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

Last month, the National Trust unveiled plans to upgrade its facilities at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

A new visitor building will be built around the existing tearoom. There will be a fully accessible café, more toilets and a new admissions area, with all areas remaining dog-friendly. Jenni added:

 “Yorkshire as a destination is a dog-lovers’ paradise, and Fountains Abbey really stands out as one of the best places here to take your dog.

“There’s so much to do and see here, you can stay all day – and your dog never has to leave your side.” 

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Find out more about visiting – with or without dogs – here.

The National Trust today revealed designs for a new £3.6 million building and landscape project at the Studley Royal end of Fountains Abbey, near Ripon.

The project, called Studley Revealed, aims to create a more accessible café, admission point and toilets and restore historical sightlines to the 18th century Georgian water garden created by John Aislabie.

However, the new building would be situated inside the water garden and only be accessible to people who pay to enter.

The current tea room on the deer park side, which is free to enter, will close. A kiosk providing drinks and snacks will be built in the deer park car park, accessible to everyone.

The restaurant and parking at the main visitor centre will remain free for all to access.

How the new entrance and outside seating to the building from the canal bridge might look.

The trust says the plans, which went out to consultation in 2019 before being paused due to covid, will make Studley Royal less “muddled”.

It will submit a formal planning application to Harrogate Borough Council in the new year.

The organisation said in a statement today:

“This area is currently muddled with 20th century buildings and additions which make up an admission point, toilets, and the boundary of the pay-for entry area.

“For years this has created a large number of conservation and operational issues which are not appropriate in a World Heritage Site.

“The updated improvements will consolidate these facilities into one building and improve the way visitors move through this area.”

The trust added the landscape plans would “open up lost views and create walks that echo the original 18th century design”.

How the view of the building from the deer park might look.

New facilities including historical information, accessible toilets and a ‘space to change’ have also been included.

The trust has consulted Historic England, Harrogate Borough Council, World Heritage Site partners and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on its plans.

It has appointed London heritage architects Feilden Fowles and Edinburgh landscape architects Rankinfraser to carry out the work.

How the new cafe seating area might look.

Justin Scully, general manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said:

“The Studley Revealed project is an exciting part of the ongoing conservation of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site.

“It has long been our ambition to improve the appearance of this area of the site and how visitors experience it.

“Crucially, it means we can create a place for our visitors to learn more about the fascinating history of Studley Royal.”

The designs and information about the project will be displayed at the Studley entrance from tomorrow until December 22 (excluding December 16) and can also be viewed here.

The trust aims to open the new facilities to visitors in late 2024. 

Read more:

• Fire at Fountains Abbey causes carols to be cancelled
• Ripon jobs in jeopardy as fashion retailer goes into administration