Taking advantage of the National Lottery Open Week once more, we headed to Harewood House in West Yorkshire. Two adults a toddler and a giant dog – We were ready for another family day out!

I’ve actually visited the grounds surrounding the place before just never paid to go inside. I saw my first ever concert here when I was just 11 and revisited only last year when we walked around the outskirts with our dog and baby.

So this time we were ready to see what we were missing! I’ve heard a lot of people talk about Harewood House. The entrance fee normally is quite expensive, which has always put us off, but this time we could enter for only £5 each with the little one free. The place is advertised as mostly dog friendly so we took our dog along.

We arrived in the morning to make the most of the full day there. We took our daughter in a pram to allow us to get around the grounds easier and quicker as we knew there were a few walks to explore. Upon entry, we were given a map to help plan our day.

We headed towards Harewood House first but we were quickly put off going inside. This place is not dog friendly nor is it pram friendly. Prams need to be left down the path in a designated area. We were fine with not going in – It’s something we have grown used to. So we headed round the side and instead visited the gardens.

Beautiful views of the estate and the gardens were pretty.

We then headed for our first walk – The South Park Walk. There are three main walks to do within the estate all plotted on the map and well sign-posted.

It was a short loop across the grounds trudging through mud across a grassy field. It was peaceful and our daughter had fun running along the terrain. A nice safe space for toddlers to burn some energy!

After the loop around South Park Walk we headed for the Lakeside Walk via the courtyard. It was nearing lunchtime so we chose this spot to sit outside and enjoy a hot chocolate from the cafe. Not the best I’ve ever tasted but hey they did give us free marshmallows and whipped cream for taking so long!

The inside parts of the courtyard weren’t dog friendly so we found a table outside under cover and perched. Here we enjoyed our pack-up in a dry sheltered spot! Of course, as always, Newkee got lots of attention from every single visitor to Harewood House that day!

When we set off for the lakeside walk, we didn’t know how long it might take as the first walk was fairly short. Straight away the lakeside walk was more engaging with cute signs dotted about the route.

We followed the signs and walked alongside the lake admiring the beautiful views and all the plants beginning to bloom as we near spring.

We walked through Himalayan gardens and crossed bridges over waterfalls.

We walked past the Stupa.

We even said hello to the fairies!

It really was quite the adventure!

Finally, we made it to the Walled Garden where everything is growing and thriving. Here there is also an orchard and Bothy teahouse which appeared to be closed when we visited.

From here you can take a ferry back to the starting point. This looks really fun, is free and runs regularly. We didn’t take the option as we didn’t fancy it with a pram and 52kg wolf in a small space but it’s definitely a great option if you are happy to wait for it to come collect you!

We walked back towards the starting point only this time taking a shorter route to save some time. Overall it was a great walk and we thoroughly enjoyed this one.

By the time we reached Harewood House again at the top of the hill, we were definitely all walked out. We decided not to walk the third and final route and head back to the car. it will leave us something to do if we ever revisit.

Next to the car park is a little woodland area with lots of dens made of sticks and a giant treehouse (Sylvascope). We had a little play around in here before heading home.

Besides not walking the North Front, we also didn’t have time to visit the Woodland Wonderland listed on the map so I don’t know what this is. On top of all the things we saw this time, there is a huge outdoor kids playground opening in April 2025 called the Adventure Playscape. As we visited Harewood House in March, this wasn’t yet open so we didn’t get a chance to try it out. Maybe next time?

At least it’s clear we have a few reasons to return!

Useful bits..

Website: https://harewood.org/
Location: Harewood, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Entry Fee: (Correct in April 2025) – Adult from £20.95 – Child (4+) £9.95 – Family discounts available and Annual Membership option available.
Transport: Car parking is free with entrance fee and plenty of spaces.
Dog friendly verdict: Brilliant place to get your dogs walked. A lot of work to do when it comes to becoming dog friendly overall. Understandably dogs can’t enter Harewood House itself but surprisingly we didn’t find any of the cafes dog friendly either. I could be wrong since the majority seemed to be closed but the largest one in the courtyard didn’t allow dogs so we found ourselves sat outside. It wouldn’t have been good with a baby had the weather of been freezing.
Family friendly verdict: I wouldn’t put Harewood House up there on my list of things to do with a toddler. Yes there are some great walks and history but not quite enough to keep the children entertained now that there is no longer the animals like I hear there used to be.
TripAdvisor: Harewood House
Overall verdict: We had such a good time visiting Harewood House and the walks were really enjoyable. However the entrance fee is far too expensive in my opinion. We paid only £10 for 2 adults and this was a good price. The fact that they charge full price for you to visit even when the playground is closed or you have a dog so don’t plan on actually visiting the house – Well it just doesn’t equal good value for us. The best way to enjoy this place is by getting an annual pass and visiting multiple times per year. I would still rate Harewood House highly because it was beautiful but would I return at full entry price? Absolutely not.