Kilnsey Park Estate

An outdoor family attraction in Upper Wharfedale, set between Grassington and Kettlewell in limestone scenery beneath Kilnsey Crag. The site brings together springwater-fed fishing lakes, a family fishing pond, farm animals, wildflowers and a woodland nature trail, with a cafe beside the lake and views towards Great Whernside and the crag itself.

The lakes are stocked for anglers, while the family fishing pond is aimed at first timers and children. Elsewhere you can follow the trout raceway, look into the giant rainbow trout feeding pond, see the source of Sikes Beck, and walk past the water garden and the hydropower turbine house. Anglers should know that one visitor reported contention over pegs and weed in the water, so it pays to be flexible about where you settle.

Ducks, geese, hens and guinea fowl wander freely around the visitor area. Look out for angora goats, pygmy goats, alpacas, Gloucester Old Spot piglets, spring lambs and red squirrel enclosures. There is a honeybee house with a glass-sided observation hive, plus mini diggers and a sand pit for younger children.

The Discovery Trail runs roughly from Easter to October and does not open through the winter. The nature reserve holds rare orchids and wildflowers, and May and June are a good time to look for the rare Lady's-slipper orchid. Treat the walking as a modest add-on rather than the main event: one visitor felt the animal and nature walk was poor value, and another found the site looking tired late in the season.

• The main visitor area is wheelchair and pushchair friendly, and the car park is level apart from two speedbumps.
• Cafe and toilets are step-free, with a disabled toilet with wide doors and baby changing.
• The lower trail is accessible but uneven and slightly inclined; the upper trail is uneven gravel and reasonably steep, so it is not easy going with wheelchairs or pushchairs. The family pond is only partly accessible.
• Dogs are welcome on a lead.
• Picnics are not allowed around the lakes or on the cafe patio.

The estate dates back to the 1100s, and monks from Fountains Abbey farmed sheep here for around 400 years. The Roberts family has lived and worked on the estate since 1911, and the holding now runs to about 2,000 acres, with renewable electricity generation and a smokehouse.

Repeat praise goes to the crag setting, the fishing and family pond, friendly staff, the cafe with its cakes and coffee, clean bathrooms and easy free parking. It works best as a half-day family outing where feeding trout, meeting animals and sitting by the water matter more than covering distance.