The Forbidden Corner

Fantastic! great afternoon out just as much fun for adults as for kids not what I was expecting but loved it so did the kids. lots of uneven steps and surfaces so just be carefu.l food was good in the cafe and reasonably priced. And the views of the countryside are amazing will definitely be going back

What a fantastic day out for the family! We took our 9 year old son here on the first Sunday of October half-term. We all loved it. There were also much younger and much older children there who were having a great time too. We're looking forward to returning next year.

Great day out for kids and adults alike. A grounds to explore full of whimsical wonder. Not fully suitable for this unsteady of your feet of wheelchairs due to lots of narrow staircases and uneven grounds,although plenty to do on level.floor and beautiful views to enjoy. Great food choices, including gluten free and dairy free options. At a reasonable price too. Myself, my 23 y/o daughter and her partner had a great day out today. Highly recommend

Brilliant place to visit. Full of surprises, quirky, funny, spooky, we had a great time. We’ve been visiting since it was a little bit smaller, but now a major tourist attraction. Well worth a visit. Try to go when it’s a little quieter, possibly during the week. It was really busy when we went on a Sunday, but all well mannered. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Beautiful location too in the heart of the Yorkshire dales.

We've been several times before, with friends and for a birthday party. Highly recommended for children over 5 years old as some nooks and dark paths that maybe scary for very little ones. Lots of outdoor paths and the playground is suitable for younger ones. Small Cafe wasn't open this last time that was on the main grounds so had to go back to the main one next to gift shop which was a bit of a trek with 4 hot drinks.

I don't want to spoil this place, so just go,take the kids, and experience it for yourself. There are some slightly creepy moments that some sensitive kids (and maybe even adults!) Won't like, but we managed fine with a 6 year old. Great place, very different to other attractions, really unique and original.

Absolutely incredible installations. Highly recommend this unique and impressive mix of sensory garden, haunted mausoleum and interactive srt installation. Excellent value for money.

We had a lovely afternoon wondering around the attractions and getting totally lost at the Forbidden corner. There's lots of weird and wonderful things to do and see. You'll wonder around not knowing where you are or how you ended up where you are only to end up where you were earlier! Very quirky and wacky but wonderfully fun! The coffee was great quality and the play area was a lot of fun for the kids. Priced at the higher end, however it's a very unique attraction so value for money was decent. Would definitely consider visiting again

The Forbidden Corner is one of our favourite days out. It is an attraction that appeals to all members of the family, with so many hidden surprises to uncover. You must pre-book your tickets because availability is limited in order to help prevent the attraction from getting overcrowded. You can discover a whole lot more about what's on offer at The Forbidden Corner on Attractions Near Me - https://www.attractionsnearme.co.uk/places/activities/the-forbidden-corner/

A quirky, creepy, corner, hidden away in deepest darkest Yorkshire? I'm sure you're wondering what this is all about? The Forbidden Corner takes twisted imagination, and turns it into genuine childlike wonder. It's a take on traditional country gardens, walled around the outside, with some interesting things on the inside. Within the twists and turns, there's lots to see, including bears playing cards, frogs on a fountain, a talking crow, and so much more. I'm not going to go into more detail there at risk of spoiling the surprise. So, why should you go? You should go if you want to rekindle your childhood sense of whimsy, of discovering hidden things, of exploring, of secret passageways and concealed paths. You're bound to find something here that makes you smile! There's both a café and a restaurant on site. The café serves the usual sandwiches, pies and pasties, wholes the restaurant has a more extensive menu. You can also take picnic, but can't eat it inside - there is a picnic area outside, and your ticket let's you go in and out as many times as you want. To go, you have to book in advance and pick a time slot. There isn't a limit on how long you can stay in, just when you can enter. I'd suggest booking as soon as you can, and picking out an early time. We spent about five hours, and that felt like a good length of time to be there. I'll be going back in the future - it was great fun, and well worth the trip.

If I told you the adventure begins by entering the mouth of a brick-and-mortar castle lizard, would that pique your interest? Dodge the uvula, make your way through the innards, and the maze of wonders begin. (No need to point out where you exit from.) I almost don't want to describe in detail the ins and outs of Forbidden Corner, lest it spoil the many surprises, but I've got to let you in on a few tidbits. The practicals: book online, unless you're going that day, in which case phone early for tickets and a time slot and good luck. It's £13 per adult, which feels more than fair given the fun. The cafe and gift shop are fair and there's a decent outdoor patio for when summer is out proper. There are also picnic grounds, should you have done things properly and prepared ahead. Food includes those usual suspects, canteen style, hence why we went to a pub elsewhere for dinner. (I mean, the pasties we had were good, but bigger meals weren't tempting us.) Staff were all awesome. You're given a "map", with "clues" to check off, which aren't in any particular order. I'm not sure they were clues so much as things I wanted to cross off the list and see, but then we weren't trying to figure it out; all we wanted was to soak in every bit of the weirdness. Pitch black rooms, doorways that lead to nowhere, hedge mazes, confined hallways that get smaller and smaller... Oh my word, that absolutely unnerving chant about the cat. Never mind the spots where you get to gaze upon the glorious Dales. An incredible place worth visiting, whether you're three, twenty three, or eighty three, and all ages in between. It'll take you at least a few hours, but you may well wish to stay all day. Bonus: just up the road is Aysgarth Falls -- only where they done the fight scene on a waterfall in that Prince of Thieves Robin Hood film! (It's REALLY beautiful.)

This is a fantastic place for a fun day out with the family! It's basically a sort of spooky garden that you wander around and find all kinds of interesting things. At the very start there is a massive tree carved like a real tree man, which is really good to look at and an absolute must for having your photo taken! Then you enter the garden through a gateway built like a giant face and you walk through the mouth. Then on the other side you are into the garden itself. It's really a beautiful garden which is lovely to walk around, and there is some fantastic scenery. For the kids, though, it's like a wonderland. There are carvings of bears in the woods, or little statues of demons peering out at you - and when you approach for a better look you trigger a sensor and that sends a burst of water out at you! It's great fun! There is a building within the garden, which is kind of like a maze in itself, lots of passages to get lost in. At the centre you find a circular room with a pool and a statue of the Devil emerging. My daughter was really scared the first time she saw this, but once she got used to it, she thought it was great and kept wanting to go back in! The circular room has lots of doors leading off from it so you leave a different way each time. They also have a cafe and a really nice little gift shop. I would definitely recommend this place for a family day out. Be advised, though, you do have to book in advance as there is some kind of regulation about the number of people they are allowed to accept per day.

We had a family outing to the Forbidden Corner and it was a really great experience. The gardens and buildings are packed with comic statues, funny sayings and paintings, and you are provided with clues to guide you through. At one point to follow the trail you have to get down on your hands and knees and crawl through a little stone passageway - fun for the claustrophobic! The loos were hilarious, and I won't disclose why so as not to spoil the fun - go and find out! We did have trouble following some of the clues so that was all part of the fun. The gift shop and cafe were nice too - a pleasant rest after running round solving clues all day with a couple of excitable kids!

A truly magical place. Well signposted and easy to get to in the car, it truly is a wonderland, a giant, interactive maze with puzzles to solve, secret doors, revolvying floors, waterfalls, forests, picnic spots, sculptures,and lots lots more. Its a massive area so never feels too busy, it has worlds inside it you never imagined. A beautiful place to take your kids, or just yourself, for a play, a picnic and a really good time. Not even too expensive, what a find!! One note, You should book in advance, because you never know how many people will show up that day and they will ensure you get in.

A magical place that blows you away. If someone tells you it is just a maze they are doing it no justice at all. It is more like a big puzzle that requires solving. I love it. What started as a present to his wife has turned in to one of the norths best days out. You do have to book, they only let in so many people on the day so that it never feels totally crowed. It is quite out of the way but is worth the effort to get to.

We visited this gem of an attraction in the Yorkshire dales in June. The website describes it as The Strangest Place in the World. The Forbidden Corner was originally built as a private folly by Colin Armstrong, the owner of Tupgill Park and the architect Malcolm Temptest. It has quite a colourful history as planning permission was never obtain and the Yorkshire Dales trust wanted to shut it down, but due to public demand was subsequently opened to the public. Through the years it has continued to grow. I had been told by friends about this place and frankly was more excited than my boys aged 3 and 5 about going. My expections were high and I can say I wasn't disappointed in anyway. Adult tickets are £10.50 and for children aged 5-14 years tickets are £8.50 under 4's are free. Its worth noting that admission is by pre-booked tickets only you can order them by phone on 01969 640638 or online at http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk . I consider the admission price good value compared with other attractions as if you went early in the day you could spend the whole day looking around, it opens at 12 noon monday to saturday and 10am on sundays and bank holidays and is open until 6pm. Getting there was straight forward I followed the brown tourist signs from Middleham and enjoyed the beautiful drive through the countryside. Parking at the attraction was free and the toilets in the car park were surprising good. On the day we visited the weather was mostly dry but there were few rain showers which didn't spoil the fun as the kids had coats and wellies on. It is difficult to describe but there is lots to explore both outside in the gardens and inside through the tunnels and grottos. It is kind of like a huge maze as you make your way through sets of wooden doors into different sections. The place is full of little surprises and random objects. Sometimes objects talk to you, spray you with water and there is even music. We had the booklet and after about two hours of exploring we found just about all the items on the list but as we didn't find everything and we will use this as an excuse for another visit. It isn't always clear which way to go and this in my opinion adds to the fun, we saw it as a big adventure, the whole idea is to explore and see as much as you can. We enjoyed going back to places to see them again. The entrance with its sound effects proved a popular favourite with my kids, they also loved the stepping stones. As cheeky little boys they found the peeing statue very funny and other rudey nudey statues as they call them had them laughing. My 5 year old enjoyed spotting creatures from popular myths and they loved getting wet in various places. My 3 year old son was slightly nervous in places where it was cramped and dark, but with a little reassurance he soon got into the swing of things and found it very enjoyable. I can imagine some parts could be quite scary for younger kids, and if your child is scared of dark this wouldn't be suitable day out for them. We went as a party of 3 adults and 2 children. I think had I gone alone with the kids I would have been a bit more nervous about losing a child or them fallen in a water feature. With younger children under 5 I would advise a 1/1 adult ratio but had I gone alone with two kids I think they would have stayed closer and I wouldn't really have been a big issue. I would also say to get maximum enjoyment your child does really need to able to walk around for a good hour as having a buggy would be a big hinderance in my opinion. Wellies are must I think for kids and I actually planned ahead and took a change of trousers as I know if there was water my kids would be soaked and true enough they were, as they decided to step off the stepping stones and into the water lots of times. They tried to get as wet as possible. We didn't eat in the cafe so I can't comment on that, but we took our own picnic and used the picnic tables and were soon surrounded by tons of ducks trying to pinch our food which added to the fun. My kids have been lucky enough to visit lots of attractions recently including Diggerland, Lego discovery and Magna science museum but it is The Forbidden Corner that they talked about most and want to go back too. I can't wait for our next visit

I went to Forbidden corner last July for my chappys birthday and didn't know what to expect, although I had seen pictures, to be truthful I wasnt really expecting much. I had to ring first and book us in on a time slot which concerned me a little as I presumed it would be really busy. For me it was quite some distance to travel however Sat Nav found it no problem. I think its fair to say its an adventure park for all the family (however not completely wheelchair friendly). There are many places to explore twists, turns, tunnels, circular rooms, doors and gardens. Dispite having to book a time slot I didnt find the park busy which may have been due to the size of the grounds and if like me you are awful at directions but want to see everything there is to see the park gives out leaflets with things to spot as you go which is great for the kids! I think I presonally enjoyed this more as I had no idea what to expect but having been there I can't wait to go back when the sun resurfaces.

My husband and I visited Forbidden Corner in April 2007, with our 6 year old daughter, 10 year old nephew and 5 year old nephew. We had heard such fantastic reviews of the place that we had to give it a try for ourselves! We travelled from Stockton-on-Tees, through Northallerton and Bedale, then up through the Dales. It was a beautiful hot spring day and the scenery on the drive up was so beautiful! The place itself is a little off the beaten track but was well-signposted. We had booked in advance for the visit, this is to ensure that the place doesn't get too busy. We had taken a picinic with us and ate it while we were waiting to go in in the large picnic area at the entrance. We found this area to be very clean with plenty of benches and bins. The place itself was fantastic; i can honestly say it's one of the best days out in the region, we had so much fun, although the little ones were a little scared in places, especially the room with the devil in! There was so much to see, and I still don't think we saw everything even though we were there all afternoon. The place is not ideal for buggies; we did see a few people struggling round with toddlers! I would personally not take any child under the age of about four or five as I don't think they would enjoy it. It is no good for disable visitors either as most areas are not accessible by wheelchair. Also if you are a little clautrophobic you may want to avoid the underground tunnels which are quite tight in places. I would recommend Forbidden Corner as a great day out, and hope to return there once my baby boy is older.

Forbidden Corner is an absolutely wonderful place, hidden away in the Yorkshire countryside. It's essentially a massive plot of land that is filled with silliness. Weird statues and carvings and mazes and structures Kind of like a funhouse writ large, and much more imaginative. I find the idea that someone designed and built this quite fascinating. The gift shop has at least one or two books on the history of the place, but I didn't take the plunge. I think for a child with a strong imagination, there's really nowhere better. You do have to pre-book, but it wasn't overcrowded at all when I went. It's not a fast-paced thrill at all, but it's a wonderful day out amongst the follies. The cat is coming, the cat is coming, it's here!

Some great reviews already, giving comprehensive descriptions of why Forbidden Corner is such an amazing and unique attraction, so I can't add much but my own impressions. I first visited in about 1996 and most recently in 2010 between those times it had changed quite a bit and there was loads more to see in the gardens themselves. The visitor centre, cafe and giftshop had been developed beyond recognition and for the better, and there was a massive carpark when previously there had just been a small one. I guess the word is getting round gradually :) What more can I add that hasn't already been said in terms of the childlike excitement it conjures up in even the most jaded adult. It provokes thought, laughter and gentle thrills, and also for me taps into some sort of primeval instinct, particularly the subterranean, whispery bits. My advice is to come and see it for yourselves, but to reiterate, you will need to book in advance as only a certain number of people can visit per day (which is good, as although it's popular, it never gets really overrun) Apart from that, I'll say no more as it would spoil the many surprises, except to mention that I believe they now also have a couple of holiday cottages on the estate, so you get to prolong the experience!

A fantastic British Folly. A great family day out. Take a picnic, cafe's not great, and such lovely environment shame to be sat indoors. Let the kids lead the way and get lost together. Some nooks and crannies embarrasingly small for larger adults, but fun! Don't dress up, you'll get wet. Book in advance, otherwise it's a hassle. Go to the loo in the car park before you start. (the gents is painted with naked ladies from the continents! So get explanations of harems ready for 8 year olds!