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Things to do in Ryedale with kids

Snow-covered fields and bare trees looking down into the Vale of Pickering in Ryedale on a winter day

Quick answer

VisitKids has checked family days out around Malton, Pickering and Helmsley in Ryedale. Top 3 picks: Castle Howard, Dalby Forest and Rievaulx Abbey. Top free pick: Kirkham Priory, a free English Heritage ruin open any reasonable daylight hours. Top rainy day pick: Nunnington Hall, open Thursday to Sunday from 19 November to 20 December 2026. Check the dates: many places open on set days only in November and December.

Malton and the Castle Howard estate

  • Castle Howard, near Malton: a Baroque house with Gardens and the Skelf Island Adventure Playground. A Dickens of a Christmas runs from 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and the House is closed on Christmas Day. The Christmas page says all event tickets must be pre-booked. Its FAQ gives £24 to £40 for adults and £12 to £20 for children, by date and time, plus a 5.5% online booking fee. It features “a ghost or two” and is recommended from 4+.
  • Palace Cinema Malton: an Art Deco cinema just off Malton Market Place. Children aged 15 and under pay £7.60 before 7pm and £8.10 from 7pm, plus a 60p booking fee on pre-booked tickets. The cinema cannot offer access up to the first level of the building, so phone before you travel with a wheelchair or pushchair.
  • The Milton Rooms, Market Place, Malton: a volunteer-run arts and community venue. Esmeralda the Elf and Father Christmas plays on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026 only, at £5 per adult or child. Babes in arms need a child ticket too. Tickets are sold on TicketSource by the organiser, Epic Adventure Parties.

Pickering and Dalby Forest

  • North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering station: its main 2026 season ended on 1 November. Santa Express runs from Pickering on selected dates from 28 November to 24 December 2026. Fares are £29.50, £34.50 or £39.50 per person by date, plus a £1.50 booking fee per booking. On 13 November the ticket shop showed no ticket for babies under 1, so ask the railway before booking. Pushchairs travel only in the Guard’s van.
  • Dalby Forest, at Low Dalby near Thornton-le-Dale and Pickering: a Forestry England forest with play areas, Gruffalo sculptures, family trails and a visitor centre café. Entry is free if you arrive car-free. By car, parking costs £3.50 for up to 1 hour, rising to £15.00 over 4 hours. The forest is open 8am to 8pm every day. On 13 November 2026, Go Ape’s Dalby page said it was closed for winter until 6 February 2027.

Helmsley, Rievaulx and Nunnington

  • Helmsley Castle, near Helmsley town centre: an English Heritage castle ruin with double banks and ditches and an exhibition. On 13 November 2026 the calendar showed Fridays to Sundays only, 10am to 4pm, up to 20 December. Last entry is 3.30pm. Under 5s go free. The access page warns of steep-sided earthworks into the inner moats.
  • Helmsley Walled Garden, Helmsley: a five acre walled garden below the castle ruins. Under 16s and carers go free, and a standard adult day ticket is £14.00, sold only at the kiosk on the day. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm. It closes for the winter on Sunday 20 December 2026. There is no public parking at the garden.
  • Rievaulx Abbey, about 2¼ miles from Helmsley: an English Heritage abbey ruin with a museum and a café. On 13 November 2026 the calendar showed Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and last entry at 3.30pm. Under 5s go free. The access page warns of deep water in an open medieval drain and sudden drops. Pushchairs are allowed, but there are many steps.
  • Nunnington Hall, Nunnington: a National Trust manor house beside the River Rye, with a play area and indoor activities. Christmas opening runs Thursday to Sunday, 19 November to 20 December 2026, 10.30am to 4pm, with last admission at 3pm. Under 5s go free, and children aged 5 to 17 pay £7.20 with Gift Aid. Pushchairs are not permitted inside the house. Nunnington Bridge is closed for repairs, so search for “Nunnington Hall Car Park”.

Kirkham and Wharram Percy, south of Malton

  • Kirkham Priory, about 5 miles south-west of Malton: a free English Heritage ruin by the River Derwent. The access page lists deep water close by in the river and a one metre drop at the edge of the site. The official pages do not mention toilets on site.
  • Wharram Percy Deserted Medieval Village, near Wharram-le-Street: free entry to a lost village beside a ruined church. Non-members pay £2 to park. The walk from the car park is about ¾ mile, steep in places and muddy. English Heritage says the site is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.

Guides for Ryedale

Additional needs friendly days out

  • Dalby Forest: a Changing Places toilet in the Low Dalby Courtyard, needing a Radar key.
  • North Yorkshire Moors Railway: one Relaxed Santa Express only, the 15:00 departure on Saturday 28 November 2026.
  • Castle Howard: Calm Sessions of A Dickens of a Christmas have fewer people, reduced sound effects and fewer lighting effects.
  • Helmsley Walled Garden: carers accompanying a disabled person do not need a ticket, and the garden is almost completely step free.

Christmas dates at a glance

  • Father Christmas: at Castle Howard, from £60 for children on selected dates from 21 November to 24 December 2026, up two flights of stairs. At Nunnington Hall, £11.50 per child plus admission, booking essential, reached only by staircase.
  • Closures: on 13 November 2026 the calendars showed Helmsley Castle closed from 21 to 26 December. Rievaulx Abbey showed closed on 21, 22, 24 and 25 December. Nunnington Hall showed closed from 21 to 31 December.

Every place on the map

Our Ryedale map search lists every venue on this page.

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Getting around with children

  • Train to Malton: the Milton Rooms says TransPennine Express trains from York and Scarborough run approximately hourly through the day. The Coastliner Express bus also stops in Malton.
  • Bus to Helmsley: Helmsley Walled Garden names EYMS route 128 from Scarborough and Pickering, and the Reliance 31X from York.

Frequently asked questions

What is free for kids in Ryedale?

Kirkham Priory and Wharram Percy are free, though Wharram Percy charges non-members £2 to park. Dalby Forest is free if you arrive car-free. Under 16s go free at Helmsley Walled Garden, and under 5s at Rievaulx Abbey, Helmsley Castle and Nunnington Hall.

What can we do in Ryedale with kids on a rainy day?

Try the Palace Cinema in Malton. From 19 November, Nunnington Hall has colouring, board games and a children’s bookshop by its top-floor exhibition, which has stepped access only. Rievaulx Abbey has a museum.

Is the North Yorkshire Moors Railway running in winter?

Not standard services, because the main 2026 season ended on 1 November. Santa Express runs on selected dates from 28 November to 24 December 2026, and Winter Steamer from 27 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

Can you take a pushchair to Ryedale’s abbeys and castles?

Pushchairs are allowed at Rievaulx Abbey, Helmsley Castle and Kirkham Priory. Rievaulx warns there are many steps, and Kirkham has steep steps from the cloister to the refectory. English Heritage says Wharram Percy is not suitable for buggies.

Which Ryedale days out suit toddlers?

Dalby Forest has a toddler play zone in the Grandfather Oak play area, next to the visitor centre. Helmsley Walled Garden is on one level, with chickens to feed. Its pages do not say whether the pond is fenced, so keep toddlers close.

Last updated: 13 November 2026.

Checked on 13 November 2026 against the official websites, through our Ryedale venue pages. Prices and opening times change, so check before you travel.

Photo: Martin Dawes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).