Another bank holiday with more amazing weather! I’m not sure what we’ve done to deserve it (oh wait, all that snow), but it gave us a good excuse to go somewhere green for the day.
You can get to Knaresborough in around 40 minutes by train from Leeds. It’s a lovely picturesque journey via Horsforth and Harrogate, where you’re sure to spot a deer or a pheasant in the fields on the way.
Neither of us had been to Knaresborough in years until today, so we decided to hop on a train and spend the day there. We arrived just before 12 and decided to go for a wander before getting lunch. The castle is just a few minutes walk from the station, and the lovely Bebra Gardens can be found around the back.
The gardens are small but still well worth a visit on a trip to Knaresborough. It seems quite a few others has the same idea as us, and there were lots of people relaxing on the grass in the sunshine. Although it was busy it still felt very quiet and serene. There’s plenty of benches and green spaces to sit and relax, so it didn’t feel overcrowded.
There was an abundance of flowers, plants and trees to admire, with butterflies, bumblebees and birds showing off their colours and wings at every turn. I’d unfortunately left my British flowers book at home but identified what I could and guessed the rest!
We looped back around to take wander round the castle and admire the viaduct before heading into town for some food. It really is quite a sight, and it was lovely to just sit and watch the boats on the water.
We grabbed some sandwiches and drinks in town, and then made our way down to the riverside, following the trail into the woods for a little walk. Knaresborough is really well signposted so even if you turned up without a plan, finding a walk isn’t too difficult.
We stopped off for ice creams on the way back to the station and found another patch of grass to take in the afternoon sun before heading home. I would highly recommend a day in Knaresborough in rain or shine – there’s plenty of great pubs to take advantage of on a drizzly day!
