Pocklington is perfect for families

Planning to visit Yorkshire with family this summer? Ideally located between York and the coast, Pocklington is the perfect base to explore the region. And its self catering properties are the best places to stay if you are budgeting for a family. 

Best of town, coast, and country

On the edge of stunning Yorkshire Wolds countryside, postcard-pretty Pocklington is just 30 minutes from the historic city of York and 40 minutes from the sandy beaches and white chalk clifftops of Yorkshire’s scenic coastline. A quiet, but active town, it has a cinema, quirky independent shops, two supermarkets, and a weekly market. With water sports and walks nearby, this really is one of the best places to stay in East Yorkshire.

 

Historic York

A 20-minute drive, or a 30-minute bus journey, from Pocklington and you are in the centre of York. Here you can walk the city walls, where the treasonous Duke of York’s head once hung on a spike, have lunch in any one of the city’s fine eateries, visit its world class museums, and be back for dinner. Don’t miss the gothic splendour of its cathedral,  York Minster or the National Railway Museum, an absolute must for families with children.

Pocklington history

If history is your thing, Pocklington also has a fascinating past. This is where archaeologists uncovered the most important iron age find in Britain – a magnificent Celtic shield and an iron age chariot dating back to the 4th Century AD. The chariot was found hitched to the skeletons of two ponies that had been buried upright to look as though they were leaping out of the ground.

Family fun at historic homes 

If you and your family like fun and games then Burton Agnes Hall, has an intricate Elizabethan garden laid out with life-size games where you and your children can while away a summer’s day playing giant chess or getting lost in an intricate maze.

Pocklington is perfect for gardeners

But garden lovers don’t need to leave Pocklington to enjoy rare and beautiful plants. Burnby Hall  hosts the national lily collection and in the summer its ponds are ablaze with these rare species. While you take in the splendour, the children can feed the fish, sample delicious ice cream and play an African thumb piano or see a stuffed lion in its quirky museum!

Family water fun

In summertime, there are narrowboat trips along the dreamy waters of the Pocklington canal. More active families can hire kayaks and splash about in the shallow waters at nearby Allerthorpe Lakeland Park .

 

Walking & cycling

Pocklington is in the heart of stunning Yorkshire Wold’s countryside. Two national walking trails, the Minster Way, and the Yorkshire Wolds Way, run close to the town and it is also a stop on the Way of the Roses cycle route.

Short walks around Pocklington

There are also numerous, idyllic short walks to enjoy. Millington Woods is a rare, wooded valley that offers a shady haven for families on sunny days. And there are spectacular circular walks from the town itself. One of them leads through ancient woodland to a former country home now a thriving Buddhist centre. Take a stroll around the ornamental lake before coffee and cake in the World Peace Cafe.

Yorkshire Coast

A 40-minute drive from Pocklington and you are dipping your toes in the shallow waters at Fraisethorpe or Bridlington beach. These long, wide stretches of sand are ideal places if you are visiting with a dog – watch out for horses galloping! A short drive from Bridlington is Flamborough Head, famous for its Victorian lighthouse. Look out for seals on the chalk-white beaches below. The chalk caves at nearby Thornton Bay were once used by pirates and are fun for children to explore at low tide.

Wildlife

The clifftops at nearby RSPB Bempton host the country’s largest mainland seabird colony where every summer you can see puffins. Recently a black browed albatross has also been spotted here. And, if you enjoy wildlife, seeing the live animal nest cameras and wildlife paintings at The Robert Fuller Gallery is like visiting the set of Springwatch.

Places to stay in Pocklington

The Bungalow, five minutes from Pocklington’s glorious woodland walks, and a 10-minute stroll into town, is an ideal base for families who want to enjoy the best of what Pocklington has to offer. In fact one of the town’s most beautiful walks starts right from its front door.  Affordable and well-equipped, this property sleeps six, in a double, a twin bed room, and a bunk room. It also has ample off road parking for families who want to leave the car and take the bus into York. 

Places to eat

Pocklington also has a choice of restaurants and pubs to savour, from fine-dining spots including Judsons, Woody’s Cookhouse or Stamfords, to excellent curries (try Sonali for delicious Bengali cuisine). And if you are staying in town at  The Bungalow, the finest pizza in town, Pan e Vino will even deliver!