X
As long-standing Landal fans we were delighted to be invited to spend a few nights at one of their UK parks, Landal Aysgarth. This is a small-scale park set in spectacular scenery, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales and just a 15-minute walk from the Aysgarth Falls.
We stayed in a 6 person pet friendly Bainbridge Lodge, with a hot tub (all of the lodges on this park have a hot tub!). For this break we decided to bring our Labrador, Ruby, with us and she settled in straight away.
The Lodge was very clean and spacious, with 3 bedrooms: 2 double rooms (one with an en-suite) and a twin, a family bathroom with a bath and a large open plan living, kitchen and dining area. We really had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The bedrooms all have flat screen TVs and the kitchen has a washing machine and dishwasher. Tea bags and coffee come as standard as well as sugar, salt and pepper which was handy as it’s always those sorts of items we forget to pack!
The lounge area has a large L-shaped sofa which we all enjoyed relaxing on and the absolute highlight for us had to be the outdoor hot tub which we went in every day! We also made use of the complimentary bathrobes and slippers which were a big hit with the kids too!
The lodges are cleverly positioned to make the most of the stunning views onto the dales, and the outside terrace area is large enough for a table and chairs as well as the hot tub. From inside, the floor to ceiling windows meant we could enjoy the views the whole time.
There was something really magical about sitting in the hot tub with the kids watching the baby rabbits hopping about on the grass below, and once darkness had fallen, gazing up at the stars. It felt so special to be surrounded by nature with so little light pollution. Aysgarth lies within an official Dark Sky Reserve and is considered to be one of the best places in the UK for stargazing.
Beyond our lodge it was clear to see that the grounds were immaculately maintained and everything felt very neat and tidy.
This is a peaceful, tranquil park and the only sounds we could hear from outside our lodge were birdsong and the occasional sheep in the distance. We were only a couple of hours away from home, but it really felt like we were away from it all.
This is a fantastic choice if you are looking for a dog-friendly break.
Ruby was made very welcome, with a dog bed, a bowl, some treats and a tennis ball waiting for her on arrival which we thought was a lovely touch (although she destroyed the tennis ball in the dog agility area within about 10 minutes!).
At this park the dogs have their very own playground! Ruby absolutely loved zooming around this securely enclosed field, and unfortunately for us also found the muddiest puddle in there to roll about in! Thankfully the park has its own dog wash station with a lead attached so you can clip your dog in and give them a good hose down!
Dogs are allowed in the public areas including the restaurant, so Ruby was able to accompany us when we ate there. And with some fantastic walks on the doorstep, she certainly got a lot of exercise!
We absolutely loved the 9-hole mini golf, and my son asked to go and play there every day. The mini golf course winds around the central play area where there are swings, climbing equipment and a separate area for younger children.
The mini golf is free of charge; you just pick up golf clubs and a ball at the entrance. We also enjoyed the table tennis which is located inside the play area. The picnic tables and benches mean there is always somewhere to rest your weary feet too if you simply want to sit and watch the children play.
We were glad we had packed our football too as there is a large football pitch with goals on the grass at the bottom of the lodges.
We made use of the small shop for essentials which is located inside the main reception area and we found the staff in the reception to be very friendly and accommodating; they even let us take a few decaf tea bags for free for my daughter as these weren’t provided in the lodge.
We ate out a couple of times at the restaurant which is also a bar and has a nice games room area at the back with a pool table and darts board. We thought it was a nice touch that there was a box of board games which anyone could play with.
Landal Aysgarth is surrounded by lush green fields, separated by the little stone walls which are typical of this region, and at this time of year were full of cute baby lambs!
The famous Aysgarth Falls are just a 15-minute walk away and there is a lovely 5km loop walk you can do there which takes you past the falls and through open countryside and woodlands where we saw rabbits, lambs, calves and beautiful bluebells and daffodils everywhere. We would love to come back here in the summer and explore further.
We also walked up to Cauldron Falls, a 20-minute walk away by the pretty town of West Burton. This area looks like it would be a paradise for children in the summer.
There are some great day trips in the area. As we only had a few days we chose to visit the Wensleydale creamery which is a working cheese factory made famous by Wallace and Gromit. We watched a cheese making demonstration, sampled lots of different types of cheeses and then spent a fortune on cheese in the shop!
We then spent a fun and quirky afternoon at the Forbidden Corner which is a very unique place with an enchanted feel. It’s set in beautiful gardens and is a weird and wonderful maze of tunnels, towers, fountains and caves with surprises around every corner and a large play area. Most of the paths here are quite narrow so we wouldn’t recommend taking a buggy.
Had we had longer and not brought the dog I’m sure we would have paid a visit to Light Water Valley theme park which is about a 45-minute drive away. I used to go there as a child and have fond memories!
How does this compare to our experience of Landal parks in the Netherlands? Landal Aysgarth offers a different type of Landal experience to the Landal parks we’re used to, with no pool, organised kids’ activities or indoor play area. But like the Dutch and Belgian parks it is set in beautiful natural surroundings with plenty of space for children to play and explore safely. For a small park we were impressed with the facilities, and we were spoilt with our huge private hot tub which we could use whenever we wanted. It is perfect for a relaxing UK staycation in beautiful nature, with great accommodation and activities to keep the kids occupied on site plus a ton of things to do on the doorstep.
There are 21 Landal parks located in beautiful locations across the UK, some of which have a pool and/or an indoor play area too.
This was a press trip, and we would like to thank Landal for facilitating our stay.
For more info about Landal Aysgarth, or to book, please see below or drop us a line
LANDAL AYSGARTH Contact Us
