& CULTURE Places to picnic E

ASTER is traditionally the point in the year when many attractions adopt summer opening times, allowing visitors more opportunity to enjoy their facilities.

The Yorkshire area is particularly well endowed with stately homes and historic places to visit – all now fully open for the season ahead.

From acres of rolling parkland to ancient ruins, there’s somewhere perfect for a picnic or a great day out not too many miles from Huddersfield.

For our spring guide we’ve rounded up eight beautiful countryside venues – most within an hour’s drive from Kirklees – all with historic buildings, gardens, children’s play areas and cafes.

Now designated a World Heritage Site, this beautiful park is home to the ruins of a medieval abbey, dramatic landscaped water garden and herds of deer. The ruins are the largest of their kind in the country and definitely worth the journey. Walkers can enjoy the grounds but there’s also a visitor centre, tea room, cafe and restaurant, making it a great venue for a special day out. Free to both National Trust and English Heritage members, otherwise it’s £15 for adults and £7.50 for children. Open every day from 10am until 6pm. has a deer park, cafe, bird garden (with 130 different species, including penguins), nature trails and play areas for children. The estate is currently undergoing a two-year programme of improvements that will create a wildlife world and new visitor centre. Summer opening times are every day from 10am until 5pm. Entry is £3.75 for children and £7.50 for adults. Book online for a small discount.

Not so much a priory as an 18th century home stuffed with Chippendale furniture and Chinoiserie. Throughout 2018 the National Trust property will be marking the 300th anniversary of the influential designer’s birth with workshops for children and a contemporary art installation. There’s a kitchen garden, courtyard cafe, lakeside and woodland paths, an outdoor play area for children and cycle trails. Open from 10am until 5pm (closed on Monday and Tuesday). Tickets are £5.80 for children and £11.55 for adults. It’s cheaper just to access the grounds. There’s a parking charge of £4.

The Georgian house, now a museum, is set in 70 acres of rolling countryside opened as a museum back in 1957. There is free admission to the museum,