North Yorkshire
Woodland park with an indoor pool and fishing lake, six miles north of York
Goosewood lies in mature woodland at Sutton-on-the-Forest, about six miles north of York and an easy drive from the A1237 outer ring road. It is part of the Flower of May group and holds a five-pennant rating. The setting is the appeal: pitches are cut into the trees around a small lake, which gives the whole site a sheltered, private feel that you rarely get on flat open-field parks in the Vale of York.
There are roughly a hundred touring pitches, all well spaced and marked, with metered ten-amp electric hook-ups and hardstanding as standard; a handful also have water and drainage. Grass pitches are available, and some pitches look directly onto the lake. Facilities are strong for a park this size. A leisure complex added in recent years has a heated indoor swimming pool, charged separately at around five pounds for adults and three pounds fifty for children, with discounts for guests staying on the park. There is a clubhouse with a bar, bistro and games area, an outdoor children's play area, a shop and a laundry. Seasonal coarse fishing is available on the lake for those who bring rods.
Dogs are welcome, with two allowed per touring booking, and there is a dedicated dog exercise area and a dog shower. The combination of pool, playground and clubhouse makes this the obvious choice around York for families with younger children, particularly in a wet week when having somewhere indoors matters. Buses into York run from the nearby villages, though most guests drive and use the Park and Ride on the ring road. Beningbrough Hall, Castle Howard and the Howardian Hills are all within twenty to thirty minutes by car.