An impressive building dating back to the the 18th century, set in 300 acres. Many details are to…read morebe found on their website below. Given the ongoing pandemic (April 2021) it is essential to check their website and book ahead even to be able to enter and park there. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nostell The House itself was not open but we had a nice walk around the building, through the pretty (but limited) formal gardens) free to enter if you have National Trust membership like us. If you are not then I really don't find them worth the (£7?) entrance charge. We also had a pleasant time in the Courtyard Cafe (outside of course during the pandemic) having scones and hot beverages. We also had a nice long chat (distanced) with a local couple - it has been months since we spoke with "strangers" and we really enjoyed it!

two lovely cafe's A second hand book shop…read more A picturesque medium sized country walk The old stately home tours are great, or you can just go around at your own leisure A large children's woodland playground, lots of fun for kids here like Halloween trails.

A really beautiful setting awaits you if you have the time and inclination to get to Thwaite Mills…read more Semi-wild walkways follow along the canal routes and River Aire attracting buzzing wildlife. People can experience the water force once used to drive industry of oil making/refining and putty creating in the functioning mill as well as learning about how the workers lived by touring around the managers house now a Grade II listed building. Thwaite Mills are sometimes involved with wider Leeds events where boat rides to the city centre have been used along side music and dance workshops. It is a lovely place to pass warm summer days...when they arrive.

Lovely hidden gem in Leeds…read more Gorgeous old Watermill setting offering the old buildings & machinery, gardens and canal-side walks to suit all the family (and pooch) Ample parking and gift shop/tuck shop for those little niceties to take away as a momento of the visit.

Lovely place this especially on a sunny day. Great to walk around the lake, perhaps even take a…read morepicnic. The parking is now 70p. There is also a caravan park attached if you fancy staying here.

A lovely lake with plenty of ducks, and I couldn't believe how many swans were there. The cafe is…read morelovely, being disabled, Ive never walked around the lake, but I have heard it is a nice walk.

So my quite frankly surreal and random love of water is a bit of a problem for someone living in…read moreYorkshire isn't it? Ha, I laugh in the face of your chortles. Of course not. We have water and plenty of it. We've also got electricty and phone lines outside of London too. I know, it's surprising. What I'm talking about is "real" water and what better place to go than Eccup Reservoir. It's a pearler of an area for some real clarity and fresh air. Beautiful walks ahoy then sailor and more natural splendor than you can shake a stick at. They've also invested heavily in preserving the glourious Red Kites and it is now home to over 100 of the bad boys. Great to see them in full flight. So twitchers can have a field day and the rest of us can also enjoy the array of wildlife on offer. There are also rumours and various sightings (not sure if Special Brew was involved) of a mysterious big cat in the area. Personally I don't believe them as the Yeti would've eaten it. A sure fire hit and worth a trip out to Alwoodley for anyone's money.

My boyfriend convinced me to go on a cycling mission to Eccup reservoir recently. He has a knack of…read moremaking a million miles away sound really close and as I was pressed for time I began to whinge part way there when I realised this wasn't the 15 minute bike ride I'd planned for, being about seven miles up hill! Upon arrival I stopped whingeing immediately. The sun was just beginning to set, and the reservoir, which is HUGE looked absolutely breathtaking! We stopped to catch our breath and as we gazed out across the water I couldn't believe we were within cycling distance of home. Before it got too dark to see much we cheekily jumped a couple of gates to get closer to the water. The reservoir was so still and the trees formed silhouettes against the darkening sky as we stood on the pebbly shore. If you feel the urge to get out of the city for some peace, fresh air and beautiful views, Eccup reservoir is the perfect place!

THE SHRUBBERY is situated roughly six miles south west of Doncaster town centre and about one mile…read morewest of the village of Wadworth. The Shrubbery is as the name implies and was once a part of the grounds of Wadworth Hall. To the untrained eye there isn't much to see at The Shrubbery today apart from a mixture of broadleaved decidious trees and the occasional shrubs. There's also a small pond, that is thought to have been an outdoor bathing pool. It's what lies in the central area of The Shrubbery that makes The Shrubbery today historically important. There is three Gospel Wells. Now caged for safety reasons but still easy to view. The wells were thought at one time to be of Spa quality and have great healing powers. But research carried out within the last ten years has proved the wells do not hold Spa Water. The Wells were not wells as such, but cooling pools where the previous owners of Wadworth Hall stored their wines to "chill the drink" before drinking. The Shrubbery is open to the general public free of charge.

What a great find!…read more Pugney's is just off Jn 39 on the M1 and it has a big lake where you can hire canoes, kayaks, dinghies, windsurfers and even pedaloes. Around the outside of the lake you can take a small train ride (for the younger children), there is an activity park (no swings and slides though) and even places built specifically for bird watching. Today I went on a pedalo with my two children. It only cost £6 for the three of us and it gave my legs some much needed exercise having to do the pedalling for all three of us! Afterwards my eldest went on a kayak (only £3.70), he had never been on one by himself before but he quickly picked it up and really enjoyed himself. The cafe sells paninis, jacket potatoes and sandwiches all at reasonable prices and there are two ice-cream vans ouside. There are also benches outside for people who want to bring their own food. The best thing of all is that there is no gift shop so my children can't pester me to buy them something! Pugney's is overlooked by Sandal Castle and this is only about three minutes drive away and well worth a visit afterwards!

My main memory of Pugney's country park is of dropping my Thornton's turkish delight bar in there…read morewhen I was about eleven, and being grudging and outraged for the rest of the walk. I suppose that wasn't 'Puggy's' fault! In spite of that, it's an attractive local spot and attracts all the water sports enthusiasts and a horde of waterfowl, is a nice spot for a walk and handy for Sandal Castle. (Also known as the spot where the Grand Old Duke of York marched his ten thousand men, up, down and half-way). It is however a bit short of public conveniences and eateries, which might increase tourism in the spot. Just a thought!

Lotherton Hall was always a place where families could their children, pack a picnic and spend a…read morewhole day walking around the fantastic aviary (bird sanctuary) in the picturesque grounds. The House itself being the only one "Chargeable" place that for the first or second visit was value for money. Unfortunately, when Lotherton Hall brought in other charges - by restricting the public from free use of the play park and aviary, the popularity dropped, and so rightly so. Not everyone wanted to visit the House (as I have said, one or two visits is sufficient), and certainly not pay for the privilege of having a picnic with their own food. A shortcut through this charge is by Leisure Card, so I understand, which is one of The National Trust or National Heritage. Besides this, it is with what I believe to be a ridiculous fee, you can access all areas, as long as you have a car full of people. For first timers the experience will be found to be awesome, magical for the kids, and breathtaking for the bird lovers among you.

Lotherton Hall is a great family day out with bird gardens, A deer park and plenty of grounds to…read morewalk around. To our discredit we've not ventured into the house so we cant pass comment on that however the rest of place is great, our only niggle is the food I'd take your own they literally cant fry an egg. The bird gardens have a wonderful range of birds, with reasonable sized enclosures so that they dont look too cramped.

I am from the United States but often visit my family up in Wakefield, so I often end up taking a…read moregood stroll through here. It is a lovely walk! It's short but too short so it's great to take the young ones and dogs! The pubs nearby are great! The park itself is quite clean and free from litter, unlike the local parks back in California. The one problem that did cost a star though, are the toilets. THEY ARE FILTHY! I hear they you have to pay to get in now, which I can totally understand! First of all, they are metal and have no seats. But to be honest, they'd be in pieces if they were porcelain XD. There is graffiti all over the walls. Every time I've gone the floor is a lake of urine. However, that's really the only problem

As the previous reviewer said, this is a real gem. There are a number of walks of various lengths…read morebased around the dam, and all are very picturesque. Kids will love playing in the surrounding woodland and feeding the ducks in the dam, and at least two of the walks are wheelchair friendly, as we used to take my brother there in his. It's easy to get to and a nice afternoon out (especially as there are an ice cream van and plenty of pubs nearby!) I'm not sure how much the car park costs, but there are buses from Wakefield town centre and obviously, the walk is free!