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Sam Brown | Yorkshire Dales Family Hikes and Outdoors Life

@thereluctantexplorers

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Exploring the Yorkshire Dales with Kids
🥾 Hikes 🏕️ Stays 🧗‍♀️ Days Out
👇Visit Website
@ordnancesurvey Champion
✍️ @yorkshirelifemag @live_the_dales

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GIVEAWAY

Magical family fun, under a big top or on the streets of this enchanting city! 🧙‍♂️🎪

We've teamed up with Cirquoise to offer a family ticket for 4 to their show at @langlandsgardencentre this Christmas, and a Wizard Walk family ticket for 4 plus 2 x Wand Kits!

HOW TO ENTER

➡️ Follow both @wizardwalkofyork and @officialcirquoise  👍 Like the post
🗣️ Comment 'ROLL UP!' 📱Share this post publicly  👭 TAG a friend for an extra entry

WARNING - beware of scammers saying you’ve won and asking you to verify details via a link. We will never ask you to do this! ❌

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook and Instagram
- The closing date is Sunday 1st November 2026, winner drawn Monday 2nd
- One winner, selected by random online number generator from all valid entries (that complete all steps) on all social sites
- Circus tickets valid for any available performance except December 24th
- Wizard Walk tickets valid for any available tour within 12 months
- Gift voucher posted to the winner (UK only) circus tickets sent via email

#circus #wizardwalk #whatson #Christmas #York

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Wednesday What… THRUSCROSS RESERVOIR is the youngest of the 4 reservoirs built in this area of North Yorkshire, UK, as it was completed in 1966.
The village of West End in the Washburn Valley was mainly occupied by millworkers with the mills producing corn, hemp and cotton and powered using the water of the River Washburn. People sent their children to a Dame School in the village, which were schools for children aged between 2 – 5 and were popular between the 16th and mid-19th centuries. These schools were ran by a local woman and the parents would pay a small fee for their young children to be educated in the alphabet, maths and the girls may be learnt sewing etc. As the children got older it is said some of the mill owners used child labour and were cruel to the children, working them long hours with few breaks. In the 19th century the village suffered a typhus outbreak when some of the village died and around this time some of the villagers left as the mills closed due to the advancement of steam. New mills being powered by steam required coal and due to the ruralness of West End supply of coal was difficult. By 1911 no one lived in the village. The village had an inn, a church and 5 mills, most were demolished as the area was flooded to create the reservoir and the bodies from the churchyard were relocated to higher grounds. Some of the mills were not demolished as the owners had moved to America and could not be located to obtain permission and so just flooded. Some of the stones from the mill built another church close to the new reservoir however as the area was not populated few people attended and it soon closed.
Now the reservoir is owned by Yorkshire Water and there is a stunning trail of around 8km circumnavigating it.

#thruscrossreservoir #reservoir #yorkshirewater #sunkenbuilding #traveltowater

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We love this from @thereluctantexplorers exploring The Stenkrith Park Poetry Trail and The Devil’s Mustard Mill, in Kirkby Stephen, just down the road from the castle!⁠
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We’ve only recently discovered this lovely feed, and we think this is such a wonderful way to show you this beautiful walk. An old time family favourite, loved by our own (very) reluctant explorers at the time, and now less so as adults! ⁠
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Check out their feed, give them a follow for more walks around the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and beyond! Absolutely ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ this!⁠
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#familyexploring #poetrypath #cumbria #walkswithkids #ukschoolholidays

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Hands down the best caverns we have been to with the kids…

Panning for fossils, exploring underground caverns with only your uv light, cracking open ancient geodes and learning all about crystals made this one of the best cavern days out we have ever been to - so if you’re looking for something to do with the kids in the yorkshire dales you’re going to want to save this one.

This is @stumpcrosscaverns and we went along on one of their crystal discovery days which started with a tour of the caverns - the girls picked the dinosaur trail so we we’re hunting for dinosaur eggs with our UV lights which kept them on track the whole way round, plus they got these little finger lights which they loved.

Then it was time to learn all about the caverns and how the crystals here, and all over the world are formed before the girls got to “dig” for their own gems and rocks.
We stopped for a cake and icecream stop before heading outside to pan for fossils and more diamonds, which the kids loved i think they could have stayed all day for this one, but there was still more to do - cracking open their very own geode, before heading back into the caverns but this time the lights were out and we only had our uv lights - this was the highlight for me, it was just bonker seeing the rocks light up like this it genuinely felt like stepping onto another planet.

If you are looking for a family day out in the Yorkshire Dales definitely add this one to your list. And follow @thereluctantexplorers for more family friendly days out in Yorkshire.

#familydayout #thingstodowithkids #yorkshiredales

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Time for a new adventure...

(comment “dales” and I will send you the link to where we stayed and all the spots we visited)

AD | Ok, we might not be leaving North Wales forever but I think it might be time that we started to explore a little further with the kids - because since this instagram page took off I’ve been kind of obsessed and now I’m wondering if we might be missing out on showing the kids some amazing places and experiencing some incredible days out by only exploring North Wales.

But let’s be honest travelling long distances with kids isn’t always fun so if I’m going to leave my beloved North Wales, these spots have got to be worth it. Plus we only have limited weekends/holidays to explore with the kids,I don’t want to waste them. And I’m thinking there might be some other families thinking the same.

So, we’re gonna head out and see if we can find the best spot in the Uk (and the world) for an adventure family holiday.

And we’re starting in the Yorkshire Dales - which threw me a huge curveball. I did not expect to enjoy this area as much as we did.

The incredible alpine style ski lodge we stayed in with @sykescottages immediately won me over. “Apres Ski” was so cosy inside and the views form the bedroom balcony over the river were so calming. Plus the lodge had a hot tub which the kids loved and it’s own suana indoors which Tom loved. It was perfect for our dog herbie too with access to some great walks and lovely fields for him to run in.

And thanks to @thereluctantexplorers and their handy Yorkshire Dales guide we were able to find loads of fun days out for the kids. We spent a full day at @stumpcross caverns exploring the caves, panning for fossils and learning all about crystals. And I was super impressed with how much there was to do at Bolton Abbey for the kids - we went on the Welly Walk, explored the abbey and walked to the valley of desolation to find a stunning waterfall.

Over all our visit to the Yorkshire Dales scored 8.2, I would definatley visit here again but it wasn’t quite enough to push North Wales off the top spot - let me know if you know of somewhere that could...

#familyholiday #advent

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🥂✨ Celebrating the women who shape Yorkshire

From inspiring conversations over coffee to powerful stories shared in the room, our International Women’s Day gathering at Rudding Park brought together brilliant women from all areas of Yorkshire. With editor Kathryn Armstrong, deputy editor Felicity Macnamara, columnist Christine Talbot, Dr Agam Jung from the MND Centre and our Family Adventures writer Sam Brown among the guests, it was a day of connection, insight and plenty of laughter 💭

📖 See more from this special event in the May issue of Yorkshire Life.

@ruddingparkhotel @christineetalbot @thereluctantexplorers

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We’re loving your Easter holiday adventures! 🐣✨

Who’s back to school today? And who still has a bit more holiday fun to come?

#LittleTrekkersAdventures

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The Easter break is here! In need of some inspiration for fun days out? Check in with Sam Brown @thereluctantexplorers ✨️

She swapped law for landscape and writes our Family Adventures walks column in Yorkshire Life 🖊

As founder of The Reluctant Explorers website, she is a go-to for great routes for families - all generations - with rambles guaranteed to get little ones curious - and with the promises of cakes, ice creams (and a pie and pint for grown-ups) for sustenance.

Sam joined us at the Yorkshire Life Women in Business lunch recently and shared some favourite family walks - one of them is this lovely Burnsall fresh air walk 😍

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An inspiring afternoon celebrating Yorkshire’s women in business 🍽️✨

From powerful conversations to shared experiences and plenty of laughter along the way, our Women in Business lunch brought together an incredible group of leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers.

Thank you to everyone who joined us – here’s to supporting, inspiring and championing each other every step of the way 💛

📖 Read more about the event in the May edition of Yorkshire Life.

@ruddingparkhotel @christinetalbot @thereluctantexplorers @furnish_and_fettle @michele.leathley @lauramorse1 @meadowfarmlifestyle @neo_founders @rob7lindsey @drewtons_farm_shop @leedshospcharity

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A weekend of fresh air, slow mornings and really good company 🌿✨

We hired the whole of Kettlewell Youth Hostel for my sister’s birthday and it couldn’t have been more perfect.

Right in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, this independent hostel is surrounded by the kind of views that make you instantly slow down 🤍

Days were spent outside with long walks, pub visits, the kids running around, and just being together without rushing anywhere. And enjoying the view of the garden’s resident sea monster (swipe to photo 11)🐉😂!

And then enjoying big, comforting meals and fun boozy evenings, singing karaoke, with everyone under one roof 🫶

The food was unreal; proper hearty breakfasts and huge delicious evening meals that just hit the spot after being out all day.

It just felt easy.
No pressure, no plans… just time together.

And the owners were so lovely too 🤍
So welcoming and made everything feel really relaxed from the start.

One of those weekends you wish you could press pause on 🌄✨

#getoutdoors #kettlewell #yorkshiredales #hostel #ukstaycation

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Who’s joining us for our Women in Business Lunch? ✨

We’re looking forward to welcoming an inspiring group of women from across Yorkshire for an afternoon of conversation, connection and celebration. 💛

Taking place on 20th March at the beautiful Rudding Park, it’s set to be a truly special event. 🌿

@ruddingparkhotel @christinetalbot @thereluctantexplorers

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You know when some audios are spot on! Every place becomes special when you make memories with your favourite people! #friendforlife #friendship #yourpeople

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