We’re always on the lookout for a new nature reserve, this one, near Skelton north of York, is great for children! As well as enjoying the nature (complete with Nature Trail), there are loads of things to look at and explore.
Website: https://www.ywt.org.uk/nature-reserves/moorlands-nature-reserve
Route: A circular path leads you round the reserve, follow this trail map.
Pushchairs: The path does get narrow in places, but is fine would be fine for most pushchairs.
Facilities: None, but the nearby Haxby does.. including a Costa!
Parking: Free roadside parking
Our first visit here was on a Little Legs walk with the Baby Walking Group. Jess was immediately on side on entry, when she spotted some logs to balance on. I was more interested in some early Snowdrops blooming, gorgeous! If you visit later in Spring, this is a prime spot to enjoy bluebells.
The nature trail takes you around the reserve passing 10 posts of animals (they’re listed on the map linked above). We walked in an anti-clockwise direction, which meant that we could leave the tree house until later in the walk.
One of the first things you come to is the pond, with a platform to help you take a better look.
I wasn’t expecting the sculptures dotted about, but they were great, with a pixie tree our particular favourite.
The treehouse provided shelter for our snack, the children loved climbing the steps and peeking out the windows.
The final excitement came with the fairy circle outside the classroom. After this we “enjoyed” playing hide and seek back to the entrance.
Overall, this is a really lovely reserve, especially for small children to explore. It’s great if you live in York, but perhaps a little far from Leeds, unless you’re combining it with another trip. If you’ve got National Trust passes, you could visit the nearby Beningbrough Hall.
If your little ones need a little encouragement getting excited about being in the outdoors, you might find this blog post useful.
