Park (Turn left along the river and after half a mile cross the Millennium Bridge; Rowntree Park is 150 yards to the right back along the riverbank.)
The Park has excellent, swings, roundabouts, climbing frames etc.
2. Take the road train to visit the National Railway Museum,
from outside the Minister:
It’s a five-minute journey to this train-spotters fantasy. The train costs £2 while the York Eye at the museum costs £6 for adults, but the NRM itself is free. Suiitable for young and old boys alike.
3. Go back in time at the Jorvik Centre, Coppergate Centre:
Not worth a long summer queue, but an amusing underground train ride back to the sights, sounds and smells of old Jorvik, especially on a rainy day.
4. Go swimming at the Monk’s Cross:
If you can’t face the North Sea, this leisure complex is a 10 min drive: we haven’t yet been there so reports welcome.
5. Go on Ghost Walk, starting from the King’s Arms at King’s Staith:
There are supposedly more than a dozen different ghost walks around York (and even a ghost cruise on the river). We won’t pretend to have tried them all out but with so many ghost stories around York, it is hard to go wrong. The Original Ghost Walk leaves the King’s Arms at 8pm with latecomers able to join at 8.30pm at Clifford’s Tower. Any walk is a fantastic way to idle away a couple of hours and explore some of York’s backwaters such as the old children’s home on Bedlam and the buried Roman road under the Treasury House, before diving into a pub for a pint and a few ghost stories of your own.
6. Walk round the Roman Walls (but not with a pushchair!):
A walk round the old Roman walls takes around three hours and takes you pass the Minister, Clifford’s Tower, the Museum Gardens and the old city gates (obviously). For the nosey, it affords excellent views into the back gardens of some of York’s most beautiful homes and will give you an excellent idea of the whole City has to offer, from the tourist sites to council estates.
7. Lunch at Betty’s, Parliament St:
The big sister of Little Betty’s, see above. This is the ultimate English tea shop, but with high chairs, children’s portions, games and even babywipes to make dinner with even the littlest of darlings vaguely civilised. (Tip: if you want to beat the inevitable queue, tell the greeter that you’re happy to go downstairs – slightly less glamous but may significantly curtail a long wait.)
8. Go up in the York Eye:
At the Railway Museum, see above. A good match for its London rival with better views as you can’t see the Minister or Yorkshire Moors from the London wheel.
9. Visit the model Railway exhibition at York Station:
Just next door to the station is a model railway exhibition, which is well worth the ten minute detour for anyone who dreamed of owning a massive Hornby railway set, but could never be bothered to make the scenery look nice.
10. Hire a boat on the Ouse, King’s Staith:
There are a number of companies that run boat trips along the river Ouse including Yorkboats which leaves regularly from the riverside just north of Skeldergate bridge. Cities are often best viewed from their rivers and Yorkboats come with a history of the City and a commentary on key landmarks like Museum Gardens and the old Terry’s chocolate factory. Alternatively, you can hire your own motorboat from Red Boats at the same place, just watch out for Vikings, who frequently seem to host dragon boat races on the Ouse, despite being ten centuries out-of-date.