Ideas for a weekend away on the Northern network!

[alexl92]

Hi,
I’d like to take the Mrs and our baby away for the weekend for her birthday in October.

Just wondered if anyone had any suggestions of places on the Northern* network that are accessible from Leeds? York and Manchester come to mind immediately, but are there any lesser-known places worth exploring?

We’d want somewhere where we can get to a hotel easily from a station and enjoy some local attractions without needing a car, and somehwere that we can easily get back to Leeds on the Sunday without awkward connections!

Thanks!

*We don’t necessarily have to travel on Northern, just don’t really want to go to the opposite end of the country for a short break!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Carlisle is a pleasant little city?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Hebden Bridge is a pleasant enough town. Scenic hourly service bus (B3) from the station over to Haworth should you also wish to visit the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

 

[NorthWestRover]

And just along from Hebden Bridge is Todmorden

 

[D6130]

Hebden Bridge is a pleasant enough town. Scenic hourly service bus (B3) from the station over to Haworth should you also wish to visit the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

As a part-time resident of Hebden Bridge - when I'm not in Italy - I can endorse the above suggestion wholeheartedly. There's loads to do in and around the town....walking, cinema, park, outdoor market, canal cruises (if the water level has returned to normal by then....it's currently closed!) I appreciate that not all these activities will be suitable for a young baby, but there are also loads of quirky independent shops, pubs and restaurants....virtually all of which are child-friendly. As well as the aforementioned scenic B3 bus route to Haworth and Keighley, there is a comprehensive and frequent network of scenic little TLC bus routes linking the town with the surrounding hilltop villages and their pubs. Accommodation-wise, I can recommend Moyle's Townhouse Hotel or, if you prefer self-catering, Croft Mill Apartments just around the corner. Both are centrally-located, but less than ten minutes walk from the station.

And just along from Hebden Bridge is Todmorden

Tod also has a lot going for it - including an excellent indoor market and even more quirky independent shops, pubs and restaurants....and it's only six minutes on the train from Hebden (three trains per hour - one on Sundays), or fifteen minutes on the bus (four per hour).

 

[eastwestdivide]

Ilkley? Direct trains from Leeds, plenty of cafes etc, pleasant riverside and park, and up a bit of a hill you can get onto the edge of the moors.
Harrogate or Knaresborough? Ditto for direct trains, both on the same line. Harrogate = the posh bit of Yorkshire, Knaresborough smaller but a nice castle overlooking the river and viaduct, also Mother Shipton's Cave and the Petrifying Well.

 

[xotGD]

Chester
Lincoln
Nottingham

 

[Techniquest]

I'll echo xotGD here, Nottingham looks quite nice. I visited in January and I still have not been back for a proper visit. It was foggy when I went, but the city was oozing walking and cycling opportunities from what I saw. Direct trains available from Leeds too!

Chester, I'm yet to go back there for a proper explore, but it seems popular.

There's also quite a bit of nice stuff to do around the Matlock area, some beautiful scenery and things like the Heights of Abraham cable car could well be fun. I've not done it myself yet, so I can't comment for sure.

I also agree with those suggesting the Calder Valley. Gorgeous area, absolutely worth visiting, tons of exploring available.

Have you considered Liverpool? I'm yet to do it fully myself, but there's certainly options around Merseyside. If the weather's nice, West Kirby's a nice quiet seaside resort to visit. New Brighton is busier but still nice to visit, just be wary of the hill from the seafront to the station! Liverpool itself could be good to do, you've got options such as exploring the city centre, then hop on the ferry over the Mersey and a train back to the city before a nice meal out somewhere.

Going the other way you've got Glasgow and Edinburgh as potential options, I know they're not on the Northern network but there's plenty to do in both cities whatever the weather.

 

[alexl92]

Cheers guys, some real food for thought here!

 

[185143]

There's plenty of good boozers in Nottingham if that's your thing! Likewise for Liverpool, and Newcastle.