Things to see/do in Yorkshire

I know there is a list somewhere in here about things to see and do in York and Yorkshire.  We want to head north while kids are on spring break.  Do any of you have any good suggestions of must sees?  and places to stay?

I would be interested to know as well we are thinking about booking a week at the lodges in Griffon Forest...
and it is near York..

I don't have any suggestions of places to stay because we always just go down for the day from Newcastle, but we spent a day at Bolton Abbey and the twins loved it (and so did we.) We went around this time last year...great time for a picnic and ''communing with nature.''  We have also gone to two caves (can't remember their names, sorry) which we all enjoyed. On one of our daily trips we came across a wensleydale cheese factory/shop which was exciting because of Wallace and Grommit! Can't think of what else we have done in Yorkshire...but have gone on several nature walks. We also have been to York a few times. In fact we just went the beginning of March.

Have fun!

don't know about places to stay, but the York Minster is really cool.  My wife and I have been down to York a couple of times.  It's a nice town center with plenty of shops and explorable avenues.  They have a York Dungeon there, but we still don't know if that's just for kids or not.  We don't want to pay 10 pounds to get in to find out its some crappy childrens scarefest.

Well depending on how long you're going to be here...

York Minster is a must.  In York itself, I would say that Jorvik and the National Railway Museum might go over well with children -- though I've never been to either.

Leeds is very well known for its city centre - fab shopping area.  And the Royal Armouries museum (also possibly Thackray Museum) would be a good bet for the kiddies.  A link with other museums in the Leeds/Bradford area:  http://www.10best.com/Leeds/Sights_&_Activities/Museums/index.html

Living here, some of my favorite things in Yorkshire have been:

Walking in the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors
Harrogate & surrounds -- I particularly loved Fountains Abbey, which is a World Heritage Site:  http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk/
Harrogate is a Victorian spa town & there's a Turkish baths/spa there.  (Ilkley is also a Victorian spa town.)  And I love walking around the Nidderdale and Pately Bridge area.

Also I've heard good things about Knaresborough Castle and Ripley Castle, and Ripon (Ripon Cathedral is there) where "setting the watch" occurs nightly at 9:00 p.m. with the blowing of a horn in Ripon Market Place.

Further afield (from me) -- I loved the North Yorkshire coastal towns, particularly Whitby (where Dracula came ashore into England! ) and Scarborough.  There's also The Deep (aquarium) in Hull, though I'm not sure that Hull is technically in Yorkshire any longer -- could be wrong...it might be East Ridings, I don't know - I get confused about all that.

Here's the Yorkshire tourism link:  http://www.yorkshirevisitor.com/  (Good link, there's even a bit with suggested itineraries.)

Let me know if you have any questions & I'll try to help out or find an answer (ask someone, etc).  I love the countryside around here & places like York, Harrogate, Leeds, etc.   (It's James Herriot country here too!)

Thanks Carolyn!!  We're just putting together our trip and this will be very helpful!  I've been to Harrogate and York before but the rest of the crew have not.  they do watch All creatures though so are anxious to go. 

I'm sure I'll have more questions...

they do watch All creatures though so are anxious to go. 

You probably know this already, but there is this (from the Yorkshire tourism link):

We start our tour in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, at the World of James Herriot – Alf Wight’s original surgery at 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire - the 'Skeldale House' of the Herriot books - it takes visitors on a journey back to the 1940's and 1950's.

http://www.yorkshirevisitor.com/exec/100233/1518/PROFILE=NDpVS19VS1dFQjU4NzkyMzMyOlVLX1VLV0VCMjkwMzQ5NjQ6RU5HTElTSDpHQjoxMTQ0MzA5NjgzOjExNDQzMTY2NjI6Ojo=

Thanks, that may just be our trip!

I don't know about places to stay 'cause we live here.

We've done a weekend break to Whitby in the past, and a walking holiday (long bank holiday weekend) in Swaledale (Reeth) before -- but usually just get a local B&B and go with it -- for good or ill (adventure!).  We stayed in a room (B&B arrangement) over a pub in Reeth & couldn't get the room door to lock from the inside...so I piled our luggage in front of the door as a precaution against drunken fools stumbling into our room when the pub closed for the night.  (There were other rooms upstairs too.)   Same B&B -- the radiator in our room loo wouldn't adjust higher or lower & wouldn't turn off...it was hotter than he££ too and right beside the toilet.  You had to sit very carefully on the toilet to avoid burning the side or your ars*!

...a spa for your bum!

...a spa for your bum!

Either that or a very rude awakening!

And how could I forget the most important thing of all (if you're in York or Harrogate):  Bettys!

www.bettysandtaylors.co.uk

Must.  Go.  To.  Bettys.

Harrogate is my favorite Bettys location, because it's possible to get a table there looking out on the Stray.  And the live piano music is a nice touch.  But if it's spring break, it'll be very busy, I guarantee.  Still, in Harrogate, you could send the kiddies off to play awhile in the park, while someone queues for a table.

I second Bettys (altho if it is crowded you could go to the Starbucks on the third floor of the Borders- which is directly across the street from Bettys and by Laura Ashley, East, Browns
Railway Museum,
Viking Museum,
Castle Museum,
York Model Railway Show at the Racecourse 15-17th April
Sutton Park Easter Fun Weekend- April 16
an exhibition on Constantine in the Yorkshire Museum (near Museum gardens),
boat rides on the river Ouse,
the York Dungeon
York carnival April 30
Peter Pan panto this week for those with smaller children6-8 April at Railway Institute),
York Minster (get fish and chips and eat them in the garden if the weather is nice),
decent enough shopping in York,

April 13- Yorkwalk- Easter Choccy and Sweetie Tour

Castle Howard,
Whitby- the beach, pier, good fish and chips and some interesting shops- one has a miniature's museum
Scarborough for the beach again, will be crowded tho

Whitby- the beach, pier, good fish and chips and some interesting shops- one has a miniature's museum 

The Magpie Cafe is supposed to be THE fish-n-chips place in Whitby -- supposedly one of the top fish-n-chips restaurants in the north as well as one of the top restaurants for kiddies.  I ate there & it was nice, but I didn't have much to compare it to.  The queues can be long though because of its reputation.  DH and I tried to go once and the queue was too long.  I went with a friend another time & we got there early-ish -- just before noon, and we got a table quickly but I think school was in session again by then.

I really love Whitby -- something about its atmosphere -- it really does remind you of the kind of place that Dracula would make land -- sort of a gothic vibe.  They have something like two gothic festivals there every year and loads of music festivals -- we've been to the World Music festival there before.  It has nice abbey ruins, and a nice beach/waterfront arcade area.  A couple of hubby's Whitby photos:

http://static.flickr.com/21/36632527_5a38c2e98a.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/26/36632530_fb047f1ff3.jpg?v=0

ETA:  Whitby is also famous for its jet -- found in the cliffs around there.  There are all sorts of cool jewelry craft shops in Whitby selling jet jewelry (amber jewelry too).  The first piece of jewelry that DH bought me (when we were dating) was a jet ring that we picked out there.

This may sound really cheesy, but we love to go to Whitby and pick up stones and things on the beach.  As Carolyn was saying there are loads of jewelry stores.  On Mother's Day weekend we were there and I have some amazing polished stones- they sparkle, one is clear green, one is grey with pink stripes, one is a brilliant orange.  Dark purples, it is really unusual. 
I myself love a white sandy beach where I am wearing a suit and can splash in the waves, but second to that, it's fun to go with my family to Whitby (towards Robin Hood Bay) and walk.