A Magical December in the Yorkshire Dales – Part 2 ✨
Published
Dec 1, 2025
Winter has well and truly settled into the Yorkshire Dales now… the mornings are crisp and frosty, ice puddles are cracking under our wellies, and there’s that unmistakable festive buzz in the air. All our pods are officially dressed up for Christmas — inside and outside — with twinkling lights, cosy décor and little touches that bring proper Christmas magic to your stay. Whether you’re visiting us for some peaceful downtime before the busy Christmas rush… or we are part of your December adventure… we’re here ready to welcome you to a winter you’ll remember.
We’re just a 10 minute drive from Leyburn, tucked away on our family farm here in the Yorkshire Dales — peaceful countryside, proper Yorkshire charm, and views for days.
And December locally is jam-packed with magic. Here’s some of the festive days out and experiences we think are well worth exploring this month…
Bolton Abbey – “12 Days of Christmas” Trail
A beautiful family Christmas trail through Strid Wood, themed around the famous song we all know and belt out every year. This one’s such a lovely gentle outdoor wander, full of festive charm and nature. Perfect for little legs, not too overwhelming, with gorgeous scenery and woodland storytelling. Runs 29th November – 4th January.
Stockeld Park – Christmas Adventure & Winter Illuminations
Stockeld Park brings the full Christmas wonderland experience… Santa’s Grotto, glowing forests, ice skating, interactive magic and more. This one is a proper day out and feels like stepping into a festive movie scene. It’s a bit further out — but absolutely worth it — especially if you’ve got kids full of excitement counting sleeps to Christmas.
The Forbidden Corner – Christmas Weekends
This local favourite near Middleham always goes all-out for Christmas, transforming its quirky labyrinth and follies into a fabulously festive adventure full of fun surprises around every corner. Santa weekends often appear too… making it a brilliant option for families wanting something truly unique and local.
Leyburn Christmas Event – Market Place
A proper Yorkshire festive day in town — stalls, food, mulled treats, music, crafts, and a lovely Christmas community feel. Because it’s right on our doorstep it’s one of the easiest festive trips from the pods — you can nip over for a couple of hours and come back, throw the hot tub on, and relax straight after.
Leyburn Band Christmas Concert at Tennants
A lovely cosy evening option, especially for couples or quieter Christmas getaway stays. Traditional festive music, a warm atmosphere, and a chance to dress up a little bit and make a night of it. There’s just something about live Christmas music that feels like an instant mood-lifter in December.
Middle House Hotel, Askrigg – Festive Workshops & Afternoon Tea
Wreath-making, bauble decorating, festive afternoon teas… beautifully calm, creative and gentle. These little workshops are such a wholesome December evening idea — perfect for a romantic festive date night or a cosy Christmas outing with friends.
NEW Winter Walk Feature – Luminescence: A Winter Trail at Swinton Estate ✨
This one is magical. Swinton Estate’s illuminated winter trail is full of twinkling lights, winter woodland atmosphere, photo moments and storytelling-style wonder — perfect for grown-ups and families. It feels like stepping into a winter fairy tale… especially after dusk when the woods light up against the frosty air. A true must-see this month.
Pubs Nearby for Cosy Winter Warmth
After your winter adventure — there’s nowt better than wrapping up warm, coming back to the pod, hopping into a hot tub under the cold starlit sky… then wandering down to a proper Yorkshire pub afterwards.
We’re lucky to have some brilliant ones close by:
The Old Horn, Spennithorne
The Queens Head, Finghall
The Cover Bridge Inn
The Wyvill Arms
Akebar
All friendly, proper food, proper Yorkshire welcome.
12 Days of Christmas Offers 🎁
This December we’ll also be running our 12 Days of Christmas offers over on our social media — little surprises, treats, add-ons, upgrades and seasonal goodies released daily. So make sure you follow along… you never know what festive bargain or cosy winter extra might pop up! Keep an eye on our Facebook + Instagram — once they’re gone… they’re gone!
New Year’s Eve Booking Note:
Also just a little heads up… we’re completely sold out for New Year’s Eve this year. We always sell that weekend out early!
But… if you’re already thinking ahead (and lots of our regulars do), we do still have dates available for New Year’s Eve next year, so get in early and secure it before it goes. A New Year in the Yorkshire Dales in a hot tub pod under the stars… it’s always one of our most magical stays of the whole year.
Bonus Mentions (more to explore!)
Northallerton Tractor Parade — 13th December, 5pm. We went last year… get there early for front row views!
Newcastle Christmas Markets — 16th Nov – 22nd Dec
Durham Christmas Festival — 5th – 7th December (3 markets full of small businesses + festive entertainment)
December in the Yorkshire Dales truly feels like living inside the cosiest Christmas storybook — and we absolutely love being part of that. If you’re thinking of booking a pre-Christmas escape… or treating someone to a surprise — we also have gift vouchers available if you’re after something meaningful this Christmas.
Follow our socials to keep up with extra festive events + updates + a few sneaky winter offers too… 🎄✨
