Hackfall Woods walk | Ancient woodland, temples & waterfalls

Our Hackfall Woods walk led us to a sandy beach at the bank of River Ure for a picnic lunch. The kids played in the water with the ruins of Mowbray Castle high above us among the trees. I can’t think of a nicer family walk or better way to spend a sunny Spring day.

hackfall woods walk boy and girl at river

A walk at Hackfall Woods near Ripon in North Yorkshire is full of surprises, with lush ancient woodland, waterfalls and follies.

hackfall woods stepping stone with girl crossing river

Hackfall is such an interesting place to visit. It was moulded into a ‘wild romantic garden’ by the Aislabie family in the 1700’s. The landscaping work of John Aislabie can be seen at the nearby Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal as well. However, unlike the manicured water gardens of Studly Royal, Hackfall was intended to look ‘completely natural’ to visitors.

Hackfall was a very popular place to visit in the Victorian era but later fell into disrepair. In 1989 the Woodland Trust acquired a 999 year lease to Hackfall Woods and it has undergone much careful restoration.

Hackfall is now classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a site of Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW).

The paths at Hackfall are not buggy of wheelchair friendly, but they are well kept and easy to follow. There are over 120 acres to explore so families can choose from short scenic walks to all day adventures.

Peter Rabbit Trail at Hackfall Woods

During our visit we there was a Peter Rabbit Trail which starts at the Crown Inn in Grewelthorpe. The packs cost £4 each and the trial runs until April 28.

We parked at the Crown Inn but if we hadn’t purchased the packs we would have parked in the free parking lot a half mile away at the Woodland Trust car park (Post code HG4 3BS).

hackfall woods peter rabbit trail mr todd

The packs consist of a trail sheet, pencil, and a laminated Peter Rabbit Story and map. The story and map lead to a variety of Peter Rabbit scenes throughout the woods. Children need to count different objects such as chicks or blackberries at each stop.

hackfall woods perter rabbit trail acorns

The artwork at each ‘station’ was excellent. The clues led up to a code to unlock a treasure chest at The Crown Inn.

The trail was very well thought out as even the littlest explorer can count items. Older kids can get more involved with reading the story and doing some maths at the end to crack the code. The prizes were nice and the money raised will go to help the local school.

The trail itself takes about an hour to complete, but I highly recommend doing the ‘bonus’ sections, which take you down to the beach and up to the fountain. We also took a short detour to the castle. With the bonus sections, castle visit, river play and picnic we spent about three hours on the walk.

hackfall woods father and children in castle

It was an all around fantastic day, and the trail was well worth doing. Even without the trail though, it would be a wonderful walk with kids. In addition to the natural beauty there is a grotto, ‘ancient temple’, banqueting house and Fisher’s Hall to visit. Each of the buildings has an interesting history, as they were built to make the most of the natural views of Hackfall Woods.

We packed a picnic but still enjoyed a quick bite to eat at Crown Inn after we finished the trail.

There are four entrances to Hackfall Woods and free parking at the Woodland Trust car park (Post code HG4 3BS). If you’re looking for a unique, interesting family walk it’s a highly recommended day out.