Today we took an impromptu trip to Billy Bob’s! We were heading back to Hesketh Farm for the day to see the animals and celebrate a belated Mother’s Day. After rolling up to an empty car park it wasn’t long before a farmer with his sheep approached us to tell us the farm is closed during winter. I was fooled by the sun into thinking Spring was finally here.

Luckily we had passed a sign for Billy Bob’s just moments ago and we were pleased to find it was only a five minute drive away. Whilst I’ve never been before, being from Yorkshire, I’ve heard many people talk about the place. So many recommendations for both their ice cream and the play barn.

On this beautiful sunny day, we had packed a picnic ready to eat at the farm. Billy Bob’s Parlour is a restaurant and ice-cream parlour so doesn’t allow off-site food to be brought in (understandably). So we decided just to pop in and see what the play barn was like. I had read the play barn is open for children to visit mid-week without booking. At £3 per child, this includes play for one hour. At weekends, you must be eating in the restaurant to visit. Luckily it was Thursday and very quiet.

We’d never visited Billy Bob’s before so had no idea what to expect. When we entered the restaurant to have a nosy at the menu we were instantly enticed by the place. The music was blaring Elvis and hits from Grease whilst the smell of hamburgers lingered, transporting us straight to the States! I was instantly reminded of my times living in America and it really made me want to head back. I lived in Wisconsin for a brief period in Door County. I would always visit Wilson’s in Ephraim for the greatest ice cream and i’d enjoy it by Lake Michigan in the sunshine. Little blast from the past led me to this old blog post about my time living there. I loved the decor at Billy Bob’s, especially the American licence plates featuring all the ice cream flavours – What a unique touch!

With our picnic waiting for us in the car we decided we’d just have a quick stop for ice cream. The amount of flavours was incredible and seeing them all on show was enticing. Especially for an ice cream obsessed toddler like mine!

I stuck with my favourite, good old Chocolate Fudge Brownie! £3.95 for a generous single scoop cone, this included toppings and sauce! I felt this was very good value considering the price of ice cream these days. I loved the amount of options and whilst I chose my flavour, my daughter got to choose the topping. My mum went for coffee and both ice creams were absolutely delicious!

The play area outside was adorable. All the little wooden structures compete with slides were immaculate. Whilst everything was visually appealing, it was all in great condition too. You can tell this place really takes good care of their equipment. Nothing more satisfying as a mum than seeing safe and clean places for your kids to play!

My 2 year old felt the slides were a bit too big for her so she didn’t go on any but luckily she enjoyed the swings. We all enjoyed exploring all the creations and driving the various ‘vehicles’. My favourite was the pirate ship and she particularly liked the little train!

We didn’t end up using the play barn. Thanks to the lovely weather we were able to enjoy our ice cream outside. Billy Bob’s is one of those places that is perfect on a sunny day. The rolling hills backdrop of the Yorkshire dales is something to be admired in itself and being in the centre of it all is just breathtaking. What a great idea they had creating this place. If you visit, it really does feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere here.

We had a great time at Billy Bob’s and we will definitely be back. Next time we can try out the play barn and stop for a bite to eat! But today, it was just perfect sitting peacefully enjoying our delicious ice cream.

~ Visited Billy Bob’s in March 2026 ~