Easter in Yorkshire

Exploring Yorkshire at Easter is one of the best things to do at one of the most glorious times of the year. The fields are dotted with newborn lambs, the daffodils are nodding in the breeze over the Dales and there are so many exciting activities to try out and events to visit; Easter will certainly put a ‘spring’ in your step.

Many of the historic buildings and attractions around the county are celebrating Easter with family-friendly special events – make your Easter break in Yorkshire really special with craft workshops, egg hunts, Easter shows and vintage train rides.

Take a look at our Yorkshire cottages for Easter and plan your family-friendly getaway this spring.

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• The best Easter activities in Yorkshire
• The best Easter events in Yorkshire
• The best Easter egg hunts in Yorkshire
• Other things to do for Easter in Yorkshire
• Plan your Easter getaway

The best Easter activities in Yorkshire

There are lots of ways to make the most of your Easter Break in Yorkshire from adrenaline-fuelled family fun to gentle nature trails in beautiful scenery.

Lambing time at Sledmere House

What could be a more wholesome and heartwarming way to celebrate spring than with newborn lambs? Have your heart melt at the sight of these adorable babies up close at the lambing experience. There’s the chance to stroke them and even give them a bottle at feeding time. You can discover all the latest sheep news from the farm team and take a look at footage from the lambing shed.

Sheep farming plays a significant role in the history of Sledmere House as this beautiful Georgian stately home was built on the profits of the wool trade. For an extra charge, there are guided tours around the interior but if you’re sticking to the gardens and parkland, there’s plenty to explore, including the exquisite walled garden as featured on Gardener’s World.

Go Safari at Lightwater Valley

There are a whopping 40 rides and attractions at this family adventure park outside Ripon, set in lush green woodland. This Easter, you can look forward to some special events including a safari egg hunt, a sing-along stage show and a jungle jam disco.

Lightwater Valley is ideal for all ages as it can be as exciting or sedate as you like. For a gentler day, amble around the Lakeside Walk, ride on the swan boats, and have a round of adventure golf. There’s even an autism-friendly quiet room to take a breather. If your family are thrill-seekers, there are super speedy rides including The Skyrider and The Eagle’s Claw, and the opportunity to hold a snake or spider; are you brave enough?

Allerthorpe Lakeland Park

Image credit: Allerthorpe Lakeland Park

The line-up of Easter events at Allerthorpe Lakeland Park is a real treat. Kids will love the chance to express their creative side by decorating an egg and colouring in Easter decorations and for those who love to explore, there’s the Orienteering Course and Easter Trail. This promises an extra prize for those who spot the golden egg; keep your eyes (and eggs) peeled.

This Lakeland Park features three lakes – the main lake is set aside for water sports and the inflatable aqua park, the fishing lake is well-stocked for happy angling and the wildlife lake is a peaceful idyll to stroll around, overlooked by friendly donkeys.

The best Easter events in Yorkshire

Take in the gorgeous surroundings of Yorkshire at Easter with woodland walks, riverside rambles and traditional train trips.

Peter Rabbit Woodland Walk

Over the bank holiday weekend, check out this charming Beatrix Potter-themed walk through the beautiful woodlands around Hooton Lodge Farm outside Rotherham, it will be sure to keep the whole family entertained. Follow the clues for the chance to meet Peter Rabbit and friends and take part in the Easter Bonnet Parade.

There’s also a funfair, kids’ disco, and dance shows in the marquee at this holiday park. The River Don flows past, and keen anglers can take advantage of the private fishing platforms dotted along the bank.

Wensleydale Easter Sunday Tea Train

All aboard for a nostalgic journey across the Yorkshire Dales on this vintage train between Leeming Bar and Leyburn, up in the north of the county. On Easter Sunday, you can enhance the trip with a luxurious afternoon tea, including sandwiches, sausage rolls, local scotch egg wedges, scones and cakes, all washed down with a glass of prosecco.

Watch the beautiful Wensleydale countryside fly past during the two-hour excursion, passing through quaint villages and across breathtaking moorland before arriving at the picturesque market town of Leyburn. Find out more about the Wensleydale Easter Sunday Tea Train.

Hebden Bridge Duck Race

If you’re in the area, don’t miss the opportunity to swing by Hebden Bridge for its annual duck race on the River Calder that flows through this beautiful town centre. This charity fundraiser is great fun and easy on the holiday budget at only £1 per duck. There’s a generous £500 travel voucher for the winning duck plus cash prizes for runners-up.

Rambling families shouldn’t miss the chance to incorporate it into alonger riverside walk that takes in Hardcastle Crags and Hebden Water, where stepping stones across the stream bring an extra challenge and there’s wildlife galore to spot.

The best Easter egg hunts in Yorkshire

Grab your baskets, here’s a round-up of the county’s most memorable egg hunts.

Emu Egg Hunt at Playdale Farm

On Easter Sunday and Monday, join a hunt with a difference – this time you’re looking for emu eggs that have been dotted around the farm. ‘Unscramble’ the letters on each egg to discover the name of an animal and win a prize.

As well as emus, explore the rest of Playdale Farm where you can hand feed goats, sheep and llamas as well as cuddle a guinea pig or a chick. The outdoor play area is also full of inventive fun, including a summer sledge run and frisbee golf course. If the rain stops play, head indoors to the large sandpit with sit-on diggers.

Easter holidays at Whitby Abbey

There’s a ‘cracking’ Easter quest on the grounds of these soaring Gothic ruins, which will reward you with a chocolate treat if you're successful. The area around this famous landmark provides a wonderful opportunity to stretch your legs while drinking in the history of Whitby Abbey. As well as learning about Bram Stoker’s famous Dracula, which is set here, you can discover the story of the abbey that spans 1600 years. You can also impress the kids with the fact that the date Easter falls on each year was decided here, at the Synod of Whitby in 664.

Brodsworth Hall Easter Adventure Quest

The beautiful gardens of Brodsworth Hall provide the setting for an exhilarating Easter hunt, ending with a delicious chocolate prize. With the grand Victorian country house as a backdrop, explore the fern-filled dells, formal gardens and winding paths that have surprises around every corner. Entry to the tearoom is included in the garden ticket, where in fine weather you can dine on the terrace, so make sure to treat yourself to a meal made with fresh local ingredients.

Other things to do in Yorkshire this Easter

Leodis Space Agency

Over a three-week period during the Easter holidays, there’s a cosmic adventure in the heart of Leeds city centre with the arrival of the Leodis Space Agency. This family-friendly interactive exhibit spread over central Leeds features a spectacular display of the solar system over the pedestrianised street, Briggate, a lunar module landing scene in Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre and a flyby of the International Space Station at Leeds Central Station. Be sure not to miss the Alien Zoo in the Merrion Centre where storytellers and artists invite you to imagine extraterrestrial worlds.

Snooks Trail in York

A free and ingenious way to take in all the delights of York is by following the Snooks Trail. Twenty-one ‘Snooks’, or cute, brightly coloured sculptures, have been secreted around the cobbled streets and hidden gardens of the capital city of Yorkshire. Each one has been individually decorated by an artist to represent a particular story, which you’ll discover when you find them. Where will you find Coco the Chocolate Snook or Chalky, painted in blackboard paint, who invites you to decorate him with chalk?

Eureka! National Children's Museum

Become an Easter Eco Explorer at this Halifax-based interactive museum. The focus during the Easter holidays at Eureka National Children's Museum is on ways to protect our world. There’s craft workshops creating spring-themed art from recycled materials and a walking show around the exhibits with nature-based prizes for those who join in to save the planet. Children can take a breather from all the excitement by settling down to watch a series of short, animated films celebrating our natural world.

Plan your Easter getaway to Yorkshire

If you have been inspired to head to Yorkshire for some Easter holiday fun, Ingrid Flute's has a range of family-friendly holiday cottages for your getaway. Whether you fancy staying near the sea on the Yorkshire coast or being surrounded by acres of countryside in the Yorkshire Dales, we will have the perfect property for your family-friendly Easter holiday.