Nothing beats a good picnic, and whilst the weather is looking good we thought we’d share with you some our local favourite spots. Some are within walking distance of town – others a short car journey away, but all are fantastic and are great picnic spots for families in Harrogate and Knaresborough. It’s one thing I love about living in Harrogate – you can walk 10 mins one way and you’re in the town window shopping, and 10 mins in the other direction you’re in the wonderful Yorkshire countryside!
Here we go – in no particular order, our favourite picnic spots for families in and around Harrogate & Knaresborough:
Valley Gardens
Such a great place right in the centre of town. We live just round the corner so go here pretty much every day, and every day there’s another part of it we haven’t discovered before! We can often go out for a quick scooter mid morning and not come back till late afternoon! Pack yourself a picnic, don’t forget some bread for the ducks, and of course some money for an ice cream. We can never seem to leave that place without a delicious Ripley ice cream! Soft vanilla with chocolate dip is my go to. You can pretty much picnic wherever you want – if we’re meeting friends we usually head to the band stand where there is lots of space for the kids to run around, but if its just me and the little one we’ll head to the Japanese garden! The main toilets are now open which is always good to know with little ones.
RHS Harlow Carr
A great place for a picnic, and if you forget to bring one then there is a Betty’s onsite! There are benches dotted about, but my advise is take a picnic blanket find a secluded spot and pretend like its your own (very fancy) back garden! You’ll need to book in advance at the moment. Toilets are open and lots of hand santizer about! x
The Stray
Theres still a small area of the Stray thats closed – if you’ve been by there recently how lush does it look! But theres still soooo much of it to enjoy! With town a hop skip and jump away if you’re hopeless at preparing a picnic then there are plenty of supermarkets and sandwich shops to take your pick from. Goes without saying our top choice is Thug Sandwich!
The Great Yorkshire Showground
I love it here. Great if you’ve got a dog to walk. You can access it by two great places to pick up some treats for the perfect picnic too – Fodder on one side and Indulge on the other. You can also easily walk to the Travellers Rest pub from here (you should see it across the field when you’re standing with your back to Fodder) The Travellers rest is child friendly, has a small but perfectly formed beer garden and even allows dogs in the bar area.
Mother Shipton’s
Mother Shipton’s is open and you can take picnics. They’ve got loads of picnic tables to choose from, or why not picnic by the river! We always have a picnic day every summer in Knaresborough! Usually finished off by a boat ride on the river!
Ripley Castle
The grounds are open and a great place to picnic. My daughter often goes here with her childminder on days out. Plenty of space. so there is no issue with socially distancing. There is a great little play area too, and if you’re lucky you might even spot a deer too. You can book online in advance.
Iron Gate Field
Situated at the back of Valley Gardens, just next to the Pinewoods (you can access it off Harlow Moor Road, opposite Sussex Av) We’re in walking distance from here, and it was our go to picnic spot when lockdown was in full force. A ten minute walk but it felt like we were in the middle of the country side. There are four or five wooden picnic benches and loads of space for picnic blankets and ball games. A must if you don’t drive and have little people with you who don’t want to walk too far. You can also use it as a stopping point if you’re walking to Harlow Carr Gardens from town.
Swinsty Reservoir
A short car journey – great if you’ve got dogs to walk too. On a hot summers day you can’t beat it. Enjoy a walk around Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs then picnic on the edge of the reservoir under the tall pine trees. Lush
Brimham Rocks NT
Have a picnic on top of the rocks or if you’re a bit chicken like me, take in the views across Nidderdale and make use of the picnic benches.
Spa Gardens Ripon
Another favourite for my little girl. We’ll sometimes go into Ripon for the morning and end up here for a picnic. If you head down on market day you’ll get some great local produce for an epic picnic!
