There’s nothing better on a crisp, winter afternoon than a nice festive stroll with the family (especially on Christmas Day) so we want to tell you about some of the best festive walks in Leeds and the surrounding areas.
Bolton Abbey is located near Bradford and is a spectacular, naturally beautiful day out at any time of year. A full day of exploration is in store whenever you visit Bolton Abbey with the ruins to explore adventures to be had in the nearby woods and the famous steppingstones to (carefully) hop, skip and jump over.
At Christmas, the setting is especially atmospheric, and with events like the Christmas trail, nativities, and even visits from Father Christmas himself, a Christmassy trip to Bolton Abbey will be the perfect festive treat for the entire family.
The Bolton Abbey 12 Days of Christmas trail runs from the Saturday 18 December to the Monday 3 January, so there’s plenty of time to take the family down for some festive, outdoor fun.
12 Days of Christmas Walk. / Image: Bolton Abbey
The trail is a beautiful walk through Strid Wood, a heartwarming, fairytale-like forest on the grounds. This is a lovely family activity within itself, but to keep the little ones entertained throughout you’ll have to put your detective hats on and keep your eyes peeled to find clues along the way. Once you’ve collected your clues, a recipe for an amazing gingerbread Priory will be revealed.
After a lovely winter stroll, you can take your recipe home with you, partake in a spot of Christmas baking, and let the festive fun continue throughout the day.
12 Days of Christmas Walk. / Image: Bolton Abbey
After the trail, if you’re not ready to head home just yet, Bolton Abbey has plenty else in store to keep you and the whole family entertained. With lots of other walks to complete, a couple of shops to visit, a post office, and plenty of tea rooms, cafes, and restaurants, there’s plenty to keep you entertained if you’re wanting to experience a whole day of festive fun at Bolton Abbey.
If you’re wanting to visit Santa though, you’ll need to book in advance as this is a firm favourite for local families, and with dates up until and after Christmas, there’s still time to get booked in!
To find out more information, including where to buy tickets, visit the Bolton Abbey website.
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
The channel will run until early January.
Featured Image - Freestocks (via Unsplash)
Christmas
Leeds Santa Dash is returning for 2026 and it’s set to be ‘bigger and better’ than ever
Emily Sergeant
Leeds' famous Santa Dash is returning for 2026, and it's set to be 'bigger and better' than ever.
Back by popular demand with the festive season around the corner, The Trinity Leeds Santa Dash has confirmed its return for 2026 this December, with thousands of Santas set to hit the streets of the city centre with festive fun, Christmas cheer, and an unforgettable atmosphere.
No matter whether you're taking part with your family, friends, colleagues, or little ones, organisers say it's the 'perfect way' to kick-start your festive season.
This iconic event welcomes everyone to take part - you can either jog, walk, or wheel your way around the 5K route, soaking up the sights and sounds of the city as you celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, and prams are also welcome too, making it a fantastic festive day out for all ages and abilities.
And this year, it's set to be bigger and better than ever, as there's an exciting new city centre route.
All Santa suits are provided (except for those under three) with your race entry, and you'll also get an exclusive Trinity Leeds Santa Dash finisher medal once you make it over the line, as well as a festive chocolate treat to nibble on.
So, gather your fellow Santas, embrace the Christmas magic, and get ready to join one of Leeds' most joyful festive traditions.
The Trinity Leeds Santa Dash returns for 2026 on Sunday 6 December, and you can find out more and enter to take part in the race online here.
Kate Perou -
20th December 2023 
