Things to do in the area

York, the Wolds, the Moors and the East Coast on your doorstep

Derwent Oaks Park sits eight miles south-east of York, with the historic city itself a quick drive away and the Yorkshire Wolds, the North York Moors and the East Coast all within an afternoon’s reach. A typical owner uses the park as a base, not a destination: morning fishing on the lake, lunch in York, an afternoon at Castle Howard or a gallop along Bridlington beach.

We’ve picked six of our favourites below, with rough drive times from the park.

Museum · 5 mi

Restored aircraft on the apron at the Yorkshire Air Museum, the old wartime base near Elvington

Yorkshire Air Museum

Britain’s largest independent air museum, on a former wartime base just five miles from the park. Restored cold-war jets, a WWII bomber and a hangar of original RAF kit. Family-friendly, easy half-day visit.

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Country house · 15 mi

Castle Howard, the great Vanbrugh country house north of York, framed by formal gardens

Castle Howard

One of England’s great Vanbrugh country houses, with a thousand acres of parkland, formal gardens, a Great Lake and an adventure playground for the kids. Cafés, plant centre, farm shop. Stays open most of the year.

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Museum · 7 mi

Recreated Victorian street inside the York Castle Museum, gas lamps and shop frontages restored

York Castle Museum

A walkable recreation of Victorian York, with cobbled streets, working shop frontages and 400 years of social history. Good for a wet afternoon and rewarding even if you think you don’t like museums.

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Gardens · 6 mi

Hardy water lilies in flower across the pond at Burnby Hall Gardens, Pocklington

Burnby Hall Gardens

Eight acres of gardens at Pocklington, home to the largest collection of hardy water lilies in Europe. Two ponds, formal beds, a tea room and the Stewart Museum on site. Peaceful, and within easy reach of the park.

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Heritage railway · 5 mi

A restored heritage train at Murton station on the Derwent Valley Light Railway

Derwent Valley Light Railway

Restored heritage trains running short trips most weekends from Murton Park, five miles from Derwent Oaks. Family-friendly, and the same site hosts the Yorkshire Museum of Farming and Danelaw Viking village.

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Castle · 23 mi

The medieval ruins of Knaresborough Castle on the hill above the River Nidd, framed by autumn trees

Knaresborough Castle

Medieval ruins above the River Nidd, with the king’s tower, the Courthouse Museum and views over a riverside town worth walking afterwards. Pair it with a stroll along the cobbled streets of Knaresborough itself.

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