Visit Hawes and Wensleydale with the Kids

Heard of Hawes? Well, if you haven’t, it’s about time you checked it out, because Hawes is one of our favourite places in the Yorkshire Dales.

It is quite literally a jam packed hub of family friendly stuff to do. Come rain, or shine!

Want to know what stuff there is to do in Hawes and Wensleydale for the Kids?

Yes? Well you are in the right place! We love a trip to Hawes, and there really is so much to do with the family on a day trip or on holiday! Hawes is located at the top end of Wensleydale, surrounded by high fells and is a pretty and bustling market town. With cobbled streets, waterfalls, local businesses and VIEWS, you need to get yourself to Hawes. I’m not kidding!

What’s great for the kids to do whilst you are there?

Well take a scroll down, we’ll tell you all about it! Walks, attractions, stuff to see and places to eat, we’ve got your family trip to Wensleydale covered!

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Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my website and for reading this now!

I set up the Reluctant Explorers and maintain the website and attached social media accounts in my spare time, around mum-life and two jobs. It was designed to provide access for parents to free resources to help get more families outside and exploring in nature. These walks have all been created by myself and the kids and we have walked each one ourselves (and re-walk them regularly to keep the information as up to date as we can).

If you would like to support us and can afford a few pennies, you can make a donation to our ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ page. Simply tap the button below to head there!

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Child standing on a bride overlooking a waterfall surrounded by trees in summer

Aysgill Force from the viewpoint above.

Our Best Hawes and Wensleydale Walks for Kids

Hawes is a hub for family friendly walks and is located RIGHT in the midst of some of the BEST waterfalls the Yorkshire Dales has to offer! We have loads of walks in the Wensleydale area, but here are a few of our favourites!

Do you want to find a waterfall? Well, I’ll be honest, you’re spoiled for choice! Try walking to Aysgill Force from the centre of Hawes, or you could take a short drive to the tallest unbroken waterfall Hardraw Force (or you can walk this from the town centre). A more challenging waterfall walk is Mill Gill and Whitfield Gill Force down the road in Askrigg, or who can ignore the classic Aysgarth Falls?! You can try walking it from West Burton to bag an extra waterfall too!

Looking for pushchair friendly? Head to Cotter Force! You will quite literally be spoiled for choice.

Looking for a woodland walk? Check out Freeholders Wood next to Aysgarth Falls, Shaw Gill Woods above Hardraw Force, or head to the Snaizeholme Red Squirrel trail (this is a MUST DO!)

Want to walk around one of the only lakes in the Yorkshire Dales? Head to Semerwater you will not be disappointed and this place is steeped in legend!

Child playing near waterfall in Summer

Aysgarth Falls

Child standing next to Hardraw force waterfall in a rocky gorge in winter

Hardaw Force

Child walking along the edge of a lake

Semerwater in winter

Red squirrel in the trees

A red squirrel at Snaizeholme sanctuary

Outdoorsy Activities for Kids in and around Hawes and Wensleydale

You will NOT be surprised to hear that there is a whole LOAD of outdoorsy activities around Hawes that are great for the kids!

Ever heard of the Forbidden Corner? A day here will take you on a journey through a bizarre and outrageous labyrinth, you will witness crazy follies, get absolutely soaking and also there is an adventure playground. Which is precisely why it’s my two’s absolute favourite places to go in the whole of the Yorkshire Dales! Lucky for you, the Forbidden Corner is just down the road from Hawes, near Leyburn. The attraction is seasonal and operates roughly between April and December (with limited opening times towards the end of the year).

Fancy a trip to a castle? Bolton Castle is located in Wensleydale and opens roughly between March/ April and October. You can take a tour of the castle, see falconry displays, wild boar, do archery and often during school holidays you will find seasonal trails or activities on. It’s also a great place to walk from.

Are water sports your thing? You can head up to Semerwater and launch from the beach there. The land is privately owned and the farmer requires payment. Simply head from the car park on the shore up to his farmhouse and you’ll either find him, or the parking/ launch tickets there. Just make sure you bring cash (change is best!) You will require Insurance to launch on Semerwater so make sure that’s sorted before going.

Do you want to go cycling? Head to Stage 1 Cycles at the Yorkshire Dales Countryside Museum for bike and equipment hire, they also regularly have family friendly events on.

Looking for a brilliant way to spend a morning or afternoon? SQUIRRELS

Head to the Snaizeholme red squirrel trail, which is right outside of Hawes. This is a sanctuary for red squirrels and if the weather isn’t too rubbish, you’ll see loads of these gorgeous creatures out in the wild! All you need to do is head to the Dales Countryside Museum to book yourself in. There are limited parking slots or you can get the Little White Bus.

Children walking through an orange door surrounded by dragons

The Forbidden Corner is weird and wonderful!

Child with bow and arrow being guided by adult to fire with castle behind

Try archery at Bolton Castle

Child looking at animal wall in museum

The Dales Countryside Museum

Child using a steady hand wire on some flower shaped stands

One of the activities to try at the Wensleydale Creamery

Rainy day stuff to do in Hawes

Come on guys… it’s Yorkshire. The likelihood is, you’ll be dealing with rain at some point! But NEVER FEAR! For we have some IDEAS (see what I did there? Poet and I don’t know it and all that….)

Where does it not rain (much?) in a CAVE! White Scar cave in Ingleton is just down the road (20-30 mins drive) it’s the longest show cave in the country, is filled with waterfalls and SO much wonder (we love a cave, can you tell?!) You’ll get a guided tour through impressive formations to a huge cavern. The tour takes around 1.5 hours, but make sure it’s not TOO rainy, the cave will flood in extreme wet weather (but don’t worry, they won’t let you in if that’s on the cards!)

The Wensleydale Creamery is also located in Hawes and has a visitor centre with loads of family friendly stuff to do there! Plus it’s all about cheese. And when in Wensleydale, you almost CERTAINLY have to do something related to CHEESE! (Gromit).

The Dales Countryside Museum is found right in the middle of the town and is a great place to stop off on a rainy day. There are plenty of interactive elements for the kids to check out and often there are seasonal activities too in the school holidays there are also nature trails around the area and the car park is a dark skies reserve! Check out the Dales Countryside Museum for more info. Oh and the ticket gives you a whole week’s worth of entry. A BARGAIN.

On a rainy day what you need is…. ICE CREAM! In the Market House in the centre of Hawes is the Hawes Ice Cream Parlour, or located on the road between Leyburn and Hawes is the Wensleydale Ice Cream Parlour & Coffee Shop serving ice cream as well as hot drinks and light bites.

Children sitting on a play park in sunshine

Where’s the play park in Hawes?

This is OBVIOUSLY essential information when visiting anywhere with kids!

So, I’ll TELL you where the park is at Hawes!

It’s almost directly opposite the Dales Countryside Museum on Burtersett Road. It is a decent sized play area, perhaps a little rough round the edges, but when you’re a kid, that doesn’t really matter does it! Plenty to keep my two occupied for a half hour or so!

What 3 Words: musically.toasted.apron

There is a further play area down the road in Bainbridge, outside the pub! If you want to find out more about the Yorkshire Dales Play Parks, head to our A-Z guide!

Child reading a leaflet about red squirrels

A Day Out in Hawes must do Itinerary

Ok. You only have a day in Hawes, what would we recommend you do?!

Grab a breakfast and a brew from Cafe Curva.

See the Red Squirrels at Snaizeholme Sanctuary

Stop off at Cotter Force on the way back to Hawes (do you dare to dip?)

Grab a tasty lunch from the Wensleydale Creamery restaurant.

Take a tour of the Wensleydale Cheese Factory and watch it being made.

Get Ice Cream from the Ice Cream Parlour at the Market House or check out the sweet shop on Hawes hight street.

Squeeze in a tour of the Dale Countryside Museum if you can, make sure you check out the story about Buckden Bill and grab a little lantern to head through the replica lead mine.

Go to the park (of course!)

Head to Simonstone Hall for a MEGA treat tea. You might want to have a date night, but they do allow kids and can cater VERY well for them (trust me, we’ve tried it!)

a fairy house next to a bridge near a stream with two children sat next to it

What else is nearby?

We get it! You’re in this for the long haul! If you’re visiting for a while or you’re just stuck for ideas as to what to do with the kids, here’s what’s nearby…

Settle and Ingleton

The nearby town of Settle and Ingleton have a whole LOAD of exciting things to do with the kids and are around a 30-40 minute drive from Hawes. Why not check out our visit with kids guide?

Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen

Sedbergh is a pretty market town in the Westmorland Dales. Why not check out what there is to do in the area in our visit with kids guide?

Scroll using the arrows for all our Family Friendly Walks

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