One of the best things to do if visiting Skipton, taking a canal boat tour is fun for all the family. As most of the boats are sheltered and you sit indoors, it’s also a great activity if you’re looking for rainy day things to do in North Yorkshire. There are lots of choices of cruise durations to suit most trips away to Skipton. Click here to book your trip.
The most popular boat cruise is an hour long trip along the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Along the way you will see beautiful countryside and enjoy the peace of hearing the water lap at your boat. There’s also a recorded audio tour by comedian Dave Spikey, who talks about the history of canals and of Skipton itself, as well as pointing out interesting details.
An afternoon tea cruise is also available, serving sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea or coffee. These tour lasts two hours. For those with less of a sweet tooth, they also offer a savoury afternoon tea, replacing the cakes with local pies.
Other cruises offered include a three-hour Sunday dinner cruise, a fish and chip cruise, and a magical Santa trip running every weekend from late November until Christmas. For anyone interested in both boats and trains, it’s possible to get a combined ticket for both the hour canal cruise and a return ticket valid on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.
If you want to make a day of it, Skipton Canal Boat Trips also allow the hiring of one of their boats for the day. A member of their staff provides a shopper tuition for the handling and safety, then it is yours for 6.5 hours. You can order an afternoon tea to take on board with you, or there is a hob, grill and kettle you could utilise.
Run by a different company, you can also catch a 30-minute cruise on a skippered boat trip. Not that I’m recommending this, but I saw one family send their older children on the boat cruise while they waited for them in the pub! These boat trips don’t need booking in advance.
Things to do with kids nearby
Explore the rest of the picturesque town that the canal runs through.
This magnificent castle is one of the most imposing and intact in Britain and is an excellent place to go with kids if you’re visiting North Yorkshire. Lots of the castle is indoors, making it a good day out in both rainy days and sunny days. There’s enough to do to spend a couple of hours here, especially if your little ones have a budding history interest.
This is a fairly easy walk through the woods behind the castle, from which you can see lots of sheep in the field beyond and you might manage to catch sight of more wildlife, such as woodpeckers or robins. Some parts, indicated by a yellow arrow, are pram friendly, while other routes have lots of steps. There are also some steep drops into the valley below on this walk, so keep any toddlers close.
In this free museum about Skipton and the local area of Craven, there are a lot of interactive displays for children to get involved in. They can have a go at weaving, dress up in historical costumes, guess what objects are through touch and much more. It is also a very accessible museum with room to push a pram around.
