Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park

Lightwater Valley sits just outside Ripon and delivers proper family fun if you've got a car full of kids who need wearing out. It's a full-on theme park with roller coasters, water rides, and enough attractions to keep the under-twelves occupied for a solid day without you having to think too hard about entertainment.

The main draw is the rides themselves - nothing too extreme, which suits families with younger children. You'll find log flumes, spinning rides, and coasters that hit that sweet spot between thrilling and not absolutely terrifying. The park's got a lazy river too, which is brilliant on hot days when queues get tedious. Allow a full day if you're paying for entry; you can rack up miles of walking between attractions, so comfortable shoes aren't optional.

Stay at one of the nearby holiday parks and you're well-positioned for a proper North Yorkshire break. Sleningford Watermill is barely a mile and a half away and highly rated, while Camp Kátur offers glamping if you fancy something a step up from caravan living. Ripon itself has enough going on - the cathedral, the town centre - that you won't feel trapped in theme-park mode the whole week.

It's a decent day out for families with children aged roughly five to thirteen. Teenagers might find it a touch tame, and toddlers will struggle with height restrictions. Weather matters here more than most attractions, so check the forecast before committing.