Swinton Bivouac
Masham, North Yorkshire
If the castle feels too formal, the Bivouac is the same estate with mud on its boots. Children sleep up in a wooden tree lodge, wake to the woods and spend the day on sculpture trails, bikes and owl encounters, with the bigger Swinton activities a short drive away. Cosy, wild and very easy with kids.
For the children
- Kids' activities
- Bikes
- Nature activities
- Dog friendly
- Best for
- Outdoorsy families with school-age children
- Ages
- 4–7, 8–12, Teen
- Kids' club
- Swinton Rangers holiday programme (5–13, parents attend)
- Family rooms
- Tree lodges sleeping larger families and yurts
- Outdoors
- Woodland sculpture trail, deer park, falconry, mountain biking, fishing
We only list facilities we could confirm on their website — something not listed may still be there.
Days out nearby
~9 miles · ~15 mins
Theme park · nearby attraction
Rebuilt around younger visitors, this Yorkshire park offers gentle rides, play areas and adventure golf set in open countryside near Ripon. A calmer, toddler-friendly alternative to the big-name parks. Easy picnic spots too.
~37 miles · ~45 mins
Children's museum · ideal day trip
Huge halls of real locomotives, including record-breakers and royal carriages, with a play area for small children and free entry. Train-obsessed little ones can happily spend hours here. Its outdoor miniature railway is a bonus.
~38 miles · ~45 mins
Castle / historic · rainy day option
A gently moving ride carries families through a recreated Viking street — sights, sounds and famously smells included — built on the actual dig site. A vivid, bite-sized history lesson in the heart of York.
Eureka! The National Children's Museum ↗
~41 miles · ~45 mins
Children's museum · rainy day option
A museum built entirely for children, where everything is meant to be touched: a pretend high street, a giant body to explore, water and sound play and dedicated baby spaces. Little ones run the show here rather than being told not to.
~45 miles · ~1 hr
Theme park · ideal day trip
An unusual combination of thrill rides and a sizeable zoo with giraffes, rhinos and hippos, so a day can swing between coasters and animal encounters. Close to the North York Moors and the coast.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway ↗
~47 miles · ~1 hr
Steam railway · ideal day trip
Heritage steam trains cross the moors between Pickering, Goathland and Whitby, with stops for walks and picnics. Goathland station is a Harry Potter filming location that delights older children. Book ahead in summer.
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Researched by Tumble in October 2026 from each place's own website. Tumble doesn't take these bookings — prices, availability and children's club details change, so check with them before you book. Distances and travel times are approximate.