Black Swan Holiday Park

Those Black Swan walks first: the pub team has put together details of two local walks direct from your pitch, including a five-mile trek to 19th-century folly The Druid’s Temple, built by a local squire as a mini Stonehenge. There are walks for all levels in this part of the Yorkshire Dales: if you’re feeling fit, you can stride off into the moorland; if not, ask about the easy riverside strolls nearby. Most Ordnance Survey paths around here are accessible but some aren't well used, so hone your navigational skills before setting off. Masham is easily reached by foot and has Georgian architecture, two breweries and one of the biggest markets in the area (on Wednesdays and Saturdays); bike hire is available here too. The Black Swan can be used as a base for beetling around the Yorkshire moors whatever your activity level after a few Yorkshire ales the night before: high ropes adventure courses are at nearby Aerial Extreme, clay pigeon shooting within a mile and off-road 4X4 driving/quad biking nearby for the energetic. The 18-mile route of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway or exploring the many nearby market towns are topping options for the more moderately minded. You may of course have no say in deciding your activity levels/options if the kids are with you; if so, you’ll probably end up at Lightwater Valley eight miles away, home of the country’s first Angry Birds activity park and with a farm park and falconry. And even culture-resistant kids should like the Beamish living museum in Co Durham with its regular events and costumed guides…