Mickley Bed & Breakfast | Things To Do In Mickley

Things to do

From Mickley, most of North Yorkshire’s history and culture (lots of non-history and culture too!), cities, towns, historic houses, stately homes, theatres, gardens, galleries, racecourses, walking, cycling, fun and adventure, and the dramatic countryside of both the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales are all within easy distance.

Here are just a few suggestions of places of interest you might like to visit.

NB Please check opening and closing dates and times and whether you need to pre-book or not.

Within 5 miles

Hackfall Wood Walks - Free. The Mickley entrance is 350 yards from our front door (photo on right).
Created by William Aislabie in the 18th century, Hackfall is a stunning woodland site set in a 350ft gorge up the hill from Mickley, with lakes, waterfalls, follies and an intricate network of paths to explore stretching along the banks of the River Ure. Hackfall boasts spectacular views across the Yorkshire hills and ancient woodland. Nineteenth century writers hailed it as one of the most beautiful woodlands in the country while romantic landscape artist Turner painted and sketched here. In 2011, Dame Judi Dench chose North Yorkshire's Hackfall Woods in a new list of celebrities' favourite winter woods in the UK. Click here and here to read all about it.
Lightwater Valley Theme Park - 3 miles away with Europe's longest roller coaster.
The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park – 3 miles. Grewelthorpe. 20 acres of beautiful walks and marvellous sculptures.
The Thornborough Henges - 4 miles. Thornborough. Known as The Stone Henge of the North.
Lime Tree Observatory and Planetarium – 3 miles. Grewelthorpe. Quite out of this world, literally! Each presentation is different, and geared around the age and interests of the viewers. Questions are encouraged.
Ripon – 5 miles away and we believe is the oldest and the 4th smallest city in England.

Ripon Cathedral - with over 1300 Years of History. Lewis Carroll was a regular visitor to Ripon during his father's time as the cathedral's canon in residence and legend has it that the inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland came from the carvings in Ripon Cathedral.
The Hornblower - 'Setting the Watch' (9:00pm) has been carried out every evening on the market square for over 1000 years. It is the longest on-going unbroken daily ceremony in the world.
Ripon Museums - Uncover hidden histories of the Liberty Courthouse, Prison and Victorian Workhouse.
Ripon's Canal Cruises - Offers Scenic Narrowboat Cruises on the Ripon Canal and River Ure.
Hunt Fun - Treasure Hunts to suit you, fun for the whole family.
Ripon Golf Course - For golfers of all abilities who can enjoy commanding views over the famous Cathedral, and the Hambleton Hills and the North Yorkshire Moors.
Ripon Tennis Centre - Ripon Tennis Centre also has a fully equipped gym and adjoining fitness studio.
Ripon Spa Gardens - A beautiful park in the heart of Ripon which hosts the Ripon War Memorial and has a Victorian bandstand on the centre. You will also find chainsaw carvings, using the trunks of thinned out cypress trees, depicting the characters from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.
Ripon Racecourse - Commonly known as the Garden Racecourse and was presented with the Gold Rose Award by Yorkshire in Bloom. It is also one of the few racecourses to boast a permanent giant screen.
Ripon Ghost Walks - Fascinating stories and spooky tales to be heard as you explore the most haunted spots of Ripon.

Riding - All year round! - 3 miles, Grewelthorpe. Emma Chapman runs Hilltop Equestrian an equestrian centre combining a unique training environment with the natural horsemanship talents of their trainer and western instructor, Emma Chapman.
A little further on, 5 miles, on the Swinton Estate, is the Masham Riding and Trekking Centre which offers trekking and basic riding lessons using an outdoor arena. It can cater for all ages and skills. There are 9 main trekking routes within the Swinton Estate which cover approximately 22,000 acres of the Yorkshire Dales. There is a minimum age of 7 for those joining the trek which is always supervised by an experienced member of staff.
Swinton Park – 5 miles. Masham. Luxury hotel, conference venue, cookery school and spa. The gardens and grounds at Swinton Park are a great attraction and are enjoyed by families, walkers and bird watchers, birds of prey and foraging enthusiasts and even alfresco diners.

Within 10 miles

Theakston's Brewery - 5.5 miles. Masham. Experience The Theakston’s Tour. The tours can be surprisingly thirsty work so you’ll also be invited to have a pint and enjoy the authentic taste of English beer at its best in the brewery tap. Theakstons is one of Britain’s few remaining traditional family brewing companies.
Noton Conyers – 7.5 miles. Wath. Norton Conyers is a mid 14th Century house with Tudor, Stuart and Georgian additions. It has been in the Graham family (except between 1862 and 1882) since 1624 and provided the inspiration for Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre'.
Thorp Perrow, Bedale - 8 miles. Arboretum, Tearoom, Bird of Prey & Mammal Centre.
ArtisOn - 8 miles. Masham. Arts and Crafts Experiences for wet and windy days.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal - 8 miles. Including the largest abbey ruins in the country and one of England’s most spectacular Georgian water gardens.(photo on right)
Camp Hill - 8 miles. Action Adventure in Yorkshire. Outdoor Adventure for the whole famiy!
Markenfield Hall - 9.5 miles. Ripon. Markenfield Hall is the most unspoiled surviving early fourteenth century house in all England, and the story of Markenfield is one of the saddest and most romantic in English history.
Newby Hall and Gardens – 10 miles. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and home to the Compton family since 1748.
Natural Light Photography Workshops - Photography at wonderful venues in and around the Dales.
Big Sheep and Little Cow Farm - 10 miles. Bedale. An all-weather farm attraction. If you're looking for a hands-on children’s farm that offers a great family day out then this is the place to visit. Families can also come and play, whether it’s in Wooly Jumpers Play Barn or outside on the go-karts or in the large sandpit play area. If the weather is dry they also offer rides on the bumpy Barrel Train.
Jervaulx Abbey - 10 miles. Jervaulx. Privately owned Cistercian Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales. Dating back to 1156, this lovely tranquil Abbey is well worth a visit. Open all year.

Within 20 miles

Brimham Rocks - 12 miles. The curious rock formations at Brimham in Nidderdale are scattered over some 50 acres on Brimham Moor and provide a great variety of weird and wonderful shapes. (photo on right)
Nidderdale Llama Trekking - 13 miles. Pateley Bridge. If you are looking for a fun, relaxing, high quality experience try Llama Trekking. Nidderdale Llamas offers a truly unique and personal experience for all abilities. The llamas are gentle, friendly and great fun. Whilst you cannot ride a llama they make amazing walking companions.
Ripley Castle –14 miles. Home to the Ingilby family for 28 generations and for over 700 years.
James Herriot – 14 miles. Thirsk. All Creatures Great and Small. Travel back in time to what life was like when James was a vet in Yorkshire.
The Forbidden Corner - 15 miles. "The Strangest Place in the World".
Constable Burton Hall - 15 miles. Leyburn. Constable Burton Hall is a handsome Palladian villa with gardens that have evolved over time, from the Elizabethan period, with its more formal concept of sweeping lawns and parterre terraced gardens, to the present day, with its more informal design. The Wyvills have lived there for over four and a half centuries and have an unbroken male line that stretches back to 1066.
The Harrogate Theatre – 18 miles.
Tri-it - 18 miles. Outdoor pursuits and events. Canoeing, kayaking, archery, hill walking and climbing.
The Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond - 20 miles. Built 1788, closed 1848, reopened 1963, restored in 2003.
Bolton Castle - 20 miles. Leyburn. Of the country’s best preserved medieval castles; originally built as one of the finest and most luxurious homes in the land, the castle bears the scars of over 600 years of fascinating history. The castle is still in the private ownership of Lord Bolton, the direct descendant of the castle’s original owner Sir Richard le Scrope.
Nidderdale Llamas – 11 miles. If you are looking for some fun, want to relax and enjoy a high-quality experience try Llama trekking or Alpaca walking in the UK.
Stump Cross Caverns – 16.2 miles. An ancient natural cave formation deep underneath the Yorkshire Dales; and a café.
Harrogate Ghost Walk - 16.8 miles. Spoooky!
Kiplin Hall, Gardens and Tea Room – 20 miles. Richmond. You will encounter 400 years' worth of stories about international adventure lived out by members of the four families that owned Kiplin Hall over four centuries.

Racecourses

Ripon Racecourse - 7 miles.
Thirsk Racecourse - 14 miles.
Catterick Racecourse - 19 miles.
Wetherby Racecourse - 25 miles.
York Racecourse - 36 miles.
Redcar Racecourse - 50 miles.

Unrelated Links!

www.charlesbrownlow.com - Sporting Holidays in Scotland.
www.clarebrownlow.co.uk - Amazing Pheasant Feather Art.
www.mountainbeds.com - Places to Stay in Verbier and Other Top Ski Resorts.