Last Updated on 31 October 2022 by Colette
Forbidden Corner is one of those places that I’ve heard whispers about over the years; a place that various people have mentioned to me but I’ve then forgotten about or not got round to visiting until now!
October half term is the perfect time to visit Forbidden Corner as it’s naturally quite a spooky place full of unexpected surprises so it really lends itself to Halloween theming and generally scaring yourself in the name of fun!
What is Forbidden Corner?
The Forbidden Corner says; “The Forbidden Corner is a unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created within a four acre garden in the heart of Tupgill Park and the Yorkshire Dales. A tourist visitor attraction unlike anywhere that you have been before, ideal for the adventurers and those young at heart!”
We say; It’s probably the most bonkers place we’ve ever been – expect to get lost, to get wet, to squeeze into tight spaces, to shriek, scream and laugh at surprises around every corner. Oh, and enjoy some stunning views of the Yorkshire Dales!
What really works well at Forbidden Corner is the element of surprise so I don’t want to share lots of details about what we did and what we saw, more tips for making the most of your visit!
Where is Forbidden Corner?
Forbidden Corner is tucked away in Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire (DL8 4TJ) and thanks to lots of long country roads, it does take a little while to get to. Coming from York it took us around 1.5 hours and the drive back to Manchester turned out to be a bit of an adventure over the Yorkshire Dales taking a good couple of hours despite only being about 70 miles. It’s quite a few more miles but possibly a quicker and easier drive to head down the A1 and back across the M62. However, thanks to a crash on the motorway we were sent up over the Dales – which would have been fine if I hadn’t been planning to stop for fuel on the way home! We were treated to some stunning views and a few hairy blind summits – and luckily got to a petrol station with about 10 miles to spare.
Who is Forbidden Corner for?
Forbidden Corner is for anyone – in fact I had someone message me on instagram this week to say they’d once gone there on a first date! You do need to be fairly agile and able to squeeze through small spaces so if you’re in a larger body or have mobility issues this probably isn’t for you. The Forbidden Corner website suggests that some scary parts might not be suitable for younger children but that these can be avoided – I’m honestly not sure how though as most of the time you haven’t got a clue where you are going or what you are going to stumble across next!
We visited Forbidden Corner with friends – so two adults and six kids. I would say this was probably the biggest group size that would feel manageable – the kids all wanted to go off in different directions and I was convinced we were going to lose them! Normally, with them being older, I would have been quite happy for them to explore a bit but this time because we had no idea where we were going or how to get back to different parts of the attraction, I wanted to be able to keep them all in sight!
How accessible is Forbidden Corner?
When it comes to asking how accessible Forbidden Corner is, I’m afraid the answer is not very. If you have any sort of mobility issues I wouldn’t recommend visiting Forbidden Corner – there’s a lot of steep, uneven, curving steps combined with narrow spaces to squeeze through and uneven ground to negotiate as well as stepping stones. You need to be fairly steady on your feet and able to get through some narrow gaps – I’m not a slim girl by any stretch and I definitely had moments where I thought I just wasn’t going to fit! The problem is that there aren’t lots of work arounds, if you can’t get through a gap, climb the stairs etc you’re going to miss out on huge parts of Forbidden Corner and probably lose the rest of your group at the same time.
I should also mention that if you’re claustrophobic or don’t like mazes, this isn’t the place for you! I hate feeling trapped anywhere – and I don’t just mean in small spaces, I once got myself in a bit of a tizz on a docked cruise ship because I couldn’t get off if I wanted to. I don’t like not knowing how to get out of somewhere so the lack of clear direction or route in Forbidden Corner felt a bit stressful – you do just have to lean into the fact that you’re going to get a bit lost and go round in circles. Luckily the kids found it thoroughly entertaining so I just followed their lead!
How long does it take to get round Forbidden Corner?
How long it takes to get around Forbidden Corner is a bit of a tricky question as there is no set route to follow so it really is a “how long is a piece of string” type question. Because there is no map as such (the leaflet sets out more of a scavenger hunt so you can tick off things as you see them but it doesn’t tell you where they are) so it’s really easy to find yourself going round in circles and stumbling across things you’ve already seen, but it would be equally as easy to leave without realising you hadn’t seen everything. (In fact I’m fairly sure we missed some bits out on our visit this week!)
Google Maps suggests that people typically spend around four hours at Forbidden Corner which I would say is in line with our experience this week -that included plenty of time to explore Forbidden Corner, a sit down in the cafe for refreshments and some time to play in the play area before heading back to the car.
Is Forbidden Corner scary?
I guess the answer to whether Forbidden Corner is scary or not is fairly subjective. If, like me, you’re not a fan of dark spaces, spiral staircases and feeling trapped – then yes Forbidden Corner is a bit scary (or probably better to describe it as disconcerting) however, if like my kids you couldn’t care less about these things then it’s just a lot of fun! Because we visited during October half term, there were extra Halloween elements which definitely added to the spooky vibes. There was certainly a lot of shrieking going on from our team (mostly from Lauren and I) but it was all good fun and nobody was genuinely frightened.
How much does Forbidden Corner cost?
Tickets for Forbidden Corner need to be pre-booked and are priced at £14.50 for adults and £12.50 for children. Under 4s go free and family tickets are available. Tickets are limited and booked for a specific entry time to manage the flow of visitors around Forbidden Corner however you are allowed to stay for as long as you want once you are in. (For this reason I booked the first available time slot to make sure we could make the most of our visit and get the best value for our ticket price!) Tickets are non-refundable.
When is Forbidden Corner open?
Forbidden Corner opens at 12pm Monday to Saturday (10am on Sundays / Bank holidays) and closes at 6pm (or dusk if earlier – believe me you don’t want to be wandering around Forbidden Corner in the dark!). As I mentioned, tickets are booked for specific time slots to managed the flow of visitors around Forbidden Corner – we booked the earliest time slot to make the most of our visit so it was quite quiet at first but got much busier during the course of the afternoon.
From 1st April to 31st October, Forbidden Corner is open daily, then just weekends until 18th December.
Can you take dogs to Forbidden Corner?
No, dogs are not permitted at Forbidden Corner unless they are guide or assistance dogs.
Forbidden Corner – our tips and tricks for making the most of your day
- Wear sturdy waterproof shoes (even if it’s dry on the day you visit!) The paths can be quite muddy in places, especially through the woodland. There’s also some stepping stones that you’re going to want good shoes on to be able to navigate without getting soggy feet and spoiling the rest of our day
- Dress to get wet and take spare clothes to get changed into when you get back to the car – we all had waterproof jackets on and walking boots but I did end up with quite wet leggings at one point (luckily it wasn’t too cold and they dried quickly but spare clothes would have been a good idea!)
- Eat before you go in or have snacks ready in the car for when you’ve finished – You are asked not to eat in Forbidden Corner though there is a cafe if you want to buy your lunch while you are there. We didn’t eat in the cafe but I did buy my three a slush at £2.50 each.
- Be patient – Forbidden Corner was quite quiet when we first arrived but did get much busier as the afternoon wore on. By it’s very nature, there’s lots of dead ends, doubling back on yourself and squeezing through tight spaces. You do have to be quite patient and wait till there is space to move or let others past – this was particularly evident at the stepping stones when there was a family waiting to travel back across them sighing and puffing at our kids who were taking their time to get across!
- Don’t let your kids dash off ahead – you’ll lose them! (I wished I’d had a Bluetooth tracker in Amy’s pocket just in case but luckily we managed to keep everyone together)
- Use the toilets when you spot them they might not be that easy to get back to
- Get there early to make most of the quietest time
- Remember there is no map – but there is a scavenger hunt style sheet that allows you to tick things off and make sure you’ve seen everything – I recommend keeping an eye on this so you don’t accidentally miss out a huge chunk of the attraction,.
- Be brave and lean into getting lost – it’s half the fun!
- Log into the free wifi as the network coverage is patchy
- Make sure you’ve got plenty of fuel just in case you get diverted over the Yorkshire Dales as it’s a long way to the next petrol station!
For more ideas of things to do in Yorkshire, read these posts next:
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