Stockeld Park

Should you want a change of scenery, you can follow footpaths across the estate to the village of Spofforth (half an hour’s walk), where there’s a ruined castle free to wander and a popular pub. From there, a railway path runs into Wetherby (just over an hour on foot/10 minutes by car), where you can stroll along the River Wharfe, play golf or test your mountain-biking skills on The Devil’s Toe Nail Bike Track. Stately Harrogate (20 minutes’ drive) has fine blooms in RHS Garden Harlow Carr and the Valley Gardens as well as a Victorian-era spa for weary grown-ups to relax in. You can also scoff a scone and a cuppa at the landmark Bettys Café Tea Rooms or eat global food in the town’s many restaurants. If you fancy stepping back in time, walk around the ancient walls of York (40 minutes), take a free guided tour of the medieval Minster and browse the half-timbered stores in The Shambles, an atmospheric cobbled alley claiming to be the oldest shopping street in the UK.