This article is based on a visit we had in Summer 2021. Any businesses or venues mentioned may have changed their prices/facilities so please check directly with them (the blue underlined wording in this article is a link to take you to their site/page. It will open separately so you can easily get back to this)
āļø š¬š§ Looking for a UK summer break that has plenty to do for the kids, not too far away to drive and doesnāt cost a fortune to book and also whilst there? š¤
We went to Bridlington a few years back and there was loads to do, very clean beaches and promenade. It was great fun š
Overall itās a great place to visit for location of amenities and attractions, as everything is pretty much accessible without a car. Thereās lots of public transport options and a lot within walking distance from where we stayed.
We stayed at Tingdene South Shore Holiday Park, which is around a 2 hour drive from Darlington.
We privately rented a chalet here. All the chalets on the site are privately owned. There are various groups on Facebook where people advertise.
TOP TIPS WHEN RENTING PRIVATELY;
-Check out their reviews and website, do some research.
-Give them a call and make sure you can get through to them.
-Pay via a secure payment link.
-Make sure you get confirmation of the booking and arrival info before going. Keep in touch.
-Request the full accommodation details before making any payment so you can check its real. You can then contact the Park office reception who will be able to assist you by confirming if the property actually exists.
Unfortunately the owner we booked our chalet through has since passed away so Iām unable to pass the details on.
š¶ It is also a dog friendly park, a maximum of 2 dogs. (Check with the chalet owner before booking if they accept dogs in their chalet too).
šHereās what we did during our 7 nights stay (from memory!) šā¦š
šļøBEACH DAYS- We enjoyed a few days at the beach. This is a long stretch of golden sandy beach. You can directly access it from the holiday park along the cliff top. There is a flat path all the way along. You reach steps going down after around a 5 minutes walk. We walked a bit further until we got to the slope down, next to the bus stop. Around a 10 minutes walk.
āļøBEACH CHALETS-You can also hire beach chalets on this part of the beach located just half way down the slope. They get booked up in advance during peak season though. You can enquire and book here
We probably do this next time as itās the beach can be difficult for Stef to walk on and even for my niece, so this way everyone can enjoy the beach days.
š¦ICE CREAM AT THE BEACH- There was a cafe serving snacks and ice cream, located opposite the slope down to the beach, as well as a bus stop and the land train stop. There is also the park and ride area if you are just visiting Bridlington for the day. Plenty more icecream and dessert places in the town centre near North Shore too but this was handy to visit when we were staying at South Shore (and a bit cheaper!)
š¦A DAY OUT AT BRIDLINGTON ANIMAL PARK-LOTS of animals spread over 21 acres, birds of prey shows and a play area onsite too. The animals seemed happy and well looked after.
Getting there? It is only a 6 minute drive away from the holiday park. There isnāt a direct bus but you could jump in a taxi.
Cost? Ā£7.95-Ā£9.95 per person, under 3s go free. Family of 4 (2ads, 2ch) only Ā£34!
š A TRIP ON THE LAND TRAIN-We took the South Shore land train to the centre, getting off at Bridlington Spa. This was lovely to do with kids, we all enjoyed the breeze and a lot of passers by waving. It takes about 8 minutes.
Cost? We paid Ā£8 return for a family of 4.
š FISH AND CHIPS OPPOSITE THE HARBOUR-We stopped at Pier 6 Boardwalk Cafe opposite the harbour as it was very popular when checking out reviews, and had gluten free options including the fish and chips. It was also a convenient location for us at the time. We had a look in a few souvenir shops and visited the fun fair this day too.
Getting there? You can get a land train from the park and ride area (10 mins walk along a flat path from the site), to take you to Bridlington Spa. Then from Bridlington Spa it is a 6 minute walk to the harbour along the promenade.
š§ŗA PICNIC IN SOUTH CLIFF GARDENS-this is opposite the harbour next to Pier 6 Boardwalk Cafe. There are public toilets available at these gardens too. Plenty of grassy areas for sitting down with a a picnic and pretty well kept flower boarders, as well as benches and flat paths to walk through. Itās only small but it was a nice place to stop and handy with the toilets before we headed over to the funfair.
š”A VISIT TO THE FUNFAIR-Located just past the harbour with lots of places to eat around here too. We didnt stay long here as it was very busy, but it was still fun for the boys whilst we were there. If you donāt mind busy environments then it had a good variety of rides! It is approximately Ā£10 for 20 tokens and most rides are around 5 tokens each. There are two funfair areas owned by different companies right next to each other so make sure you buy your tokens for the rides you are mostly interested in, as no refunds are given if you purchase from the wrong one.
ššļøA TRIP TO STRAWBERRYFIELDS CARBOOT (THE LARGEST IN YORKSHIRE)-This runs weekly on a Thursday. This is just outside of the site entrance on the field opposite, next to the main roundabout. There were a couple bouncy castle slides and trampolines for kids too, as well as catering vans and toilets. The parking situation and getting in and out was awful, causing a backlog of traffic at the roundabout and pedestrians everywhere. I would highly recommend walking if you can, as itās also free to visit. If parking then its Ā£1.50 to park.
š¤ŖBACK ON THE HOLIDAY SITE;
We visited the onsite play park and arcades with the kids a few times. It was only small but it occupied the kids for an hour or so before tea on an evening.
We went for an evening at the Makis entertainment bar and also had some tea in the restaurant here one day. The food was nice enough and Gluten free and vegan options were available. This is at located South Cliff Holiday Park opposite the chalets site, but full access to their facilities is provided when staying in the chalets. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it at Makis it was just a bit too loud and busy for us. They also have a fish and chip shop onsite as well as a convenience shop and some more arcades.
We also visited the play park a few times which was also at South Cliff Holiday Park (there are static caravans for hire here if you think you would prefer). This was a better play park in our opinion, as it had more play equipment and the kids enjoyed it more. There was an outdoor terrace which was part of the Makis entertainment bar so you could sit outside in the summer while the kids played in the park. The chalets are closer to the beachfront and do seem to be on a more relaxed part of the site.
We also played lots of board games on an evening back in our chalet and chilled between doing things too! (The games were kindly provided by our chalet host to use at our own leisure)
There really is LOTS to do in Bridlington, and I would definitely recommend this holiday park if you want a good base and family friendly, as in my opinion the location was perfect and the site had what we needed. It wasnāt luxury but it was clean and there was no trouble whilst we were there. Because the chalets were privately owned, they did seem well looked after and more of a homely touch. This may not be the case for all so best to check reviews etc for the individual chalet. We werenāt overly keen on the entertainment bar but thatās just because we donāt like busy loud places. We mostly chose it for the location and daytime activities. In terms of accessibility the chalet only had a very small step up, an enclosed outdoor seating area and a space to park your car next to them. And the slope down to the beach not too far to walk along the flat path on the cliff top. Little things like this really help. Some chalet owners may offer fully accessible ones too if you are a wheelchair user.
We also much preferred the South Shore as the beach had a more relaxed feel to it and it was easily accessible for the beach and the land train to take you to other places. The north shore does seem to be much busier though if you prefer to be in the centre of it all. Itās where the funfair, shops and cafes
/restaurants mostly are.
OTHER PLACES YOU COULD VISIT IN BRIDLINGTON šš
-East Riding Leisure Complex (They have a splash zone and water slides at the swimming pool)-15 minutes walk along the front from Bridlington Spa where you get the land train to from the park and ride area. We couldnāt get booked in unfortunately as non members could only book 24 hours before. This has now changed and you can book on their website in advance up to around a week before HERE. They also have a Soft Play and Clip n Climb.
šøCredit; East Riding Bridlington Leisure Complex Website
Bridlington Spa (Yorkshireās largest gig venue) is a great option indoors for an evening to see live music, comedy, childrenās shows, tribute nights, dance shows and more.
Sewerby Hall and Gardens. We didnāt get to visit but looks like it had beautiful gardens, a zoo and then of course the house to learn about its heritage. They seem to hold various events for families throughout the year. This can be reached by the North Shore Land Train which you take from East Riding Leisure Complex.
šø Credit: Sewerby Hall and Gardens FB
ā¹ļøUSEFUL LINKSšš
BEACH CHALET HIRE-CLICK HERE
MORE INFO ON LAND TRAINS-CLICK HERE
Thanks for reading and I hope this has given you inspiration for a family UK staycation :)
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This blog has been produced by Charlotte Walcott (Business Owner of Family Fun Darlo Mum)
A bit about me- Mum to 2 boys, Kamron-8 and Leo-2, and stepmum to Damon- 15. Sharing family days out ideas, family venues and events in Darlington, County Durham, Teesside and Yorkshire.
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