Summer holiday activities and exploration in the Yorkshire countryside, featuring self-led family activities on the lawn, walking trails, and children's activities in the Visitor Centre.
Ampleforth Abbey is running Summer Holidays - Ampleforth Adventures from 18 July to 31 August, a long stretch of family activities across the summer break. It's a free event, and you don't need to book ahead, so it works as a drop-in rather than something you have to plan weeks in advance.
The activities are spread across the grounds: self-led family activities on the lawn, walking trails to follow at your own pace, and children's activities inside the Visitor Centre. It's designed to be a low-pressure way to spend a day out with the kids, with enough going on that you can pick and choose what suits your group.
To get a sense of the place, the Abbey is home to the largest community of Benedictine monks in the UK, established there in 1802. It sits within 1,200 acres of Yorkshire countryside, inside the Howardian Hills National Landscape and bordered by the North York Moors National Park. The estate has lakes, woodlands, trails and an orchard, so there's plenty of space to walk off in if you want to get away from the crowds. The Abbey Church was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, and inside you'll find stained glass by Patrick and John Reyntiens and oak furniture by Robert Thompson. It's the centre of monastic life here, and it's open to visitors.
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The Alban Roe House Visitor Centre has a Tea Room and an Abbey Shop, serving homemade meals and local products, including cider and apple juice produced on-site. The whole thing is about getting out into the fresh air and having space to play in a historic, quiet setting. It runs from 18 July through to 31 August, it's free, and there's no booking required.
