Top Three Best Picnic Spots in York
Hi, I’m Jas! I’m a third-year English Language and Linguistics student, and in today’s blog I am going to talk about my favourite picnic spots in York.
Dean’s Park
Situated in the centre of York, Dean’s Park sits right next to the Minster. Sitting in this park, you can enjoy views of York Minster, as well as some old ruins towards the back, which were once part of a medieval palace.
Dean’s Park is a great spot to sit and read a book with a coffee. Although it is closer into town, it feels like a hidden gem, as it is usually quite quiet and very peaceful.
On the days it is busier, I usually find there are like-minded people, quietly reading or enjoying the views of the minster.
Dean’s Park also homes the Paddington statue, and if you walk through, you can spot him on one of the benches right by the Minster.
The Museum Gardens
This is probably one of the most popular spots in York, and on a sunny day is usually quite busy. The museum gardens are always bustling with people, giving it a great atmosphere during the day, which doesn’t feel crowded.
This is one of my favourite spots in York, and I have had many picnics here after my uni lectures, as it is only a 10-minute walk from campus.
Although it gets busy, there is never a shortage of places to sit. There is plenty of space on the grass to sit with your friends, or there are benches within the gardens, as well as along the river.
If you walk towards the back through the garden, there are more picnic benches behind the art gallery, which is very quiet and great if the gardens are too busy, and you prefer a table for your picnic.
There are also a couple café vans within the museum gardens to grab yourself a snack or a drink, and occasionally an ice cream boat on the river.
The only downside to the Museum Gardens is it does have a closing time of 6pm, therefore no late picnics. However, it is still lovely to enjoy during the daytime, and there are many other spots to sit in later in the evening, my favourite being Rowntree Park.
Rowntree Park
If visiting Rowntree Park, you must visit the ice cream boat. Sometimes there is also one docked in the museum gardens, but the ice cream boat is a great feature of Rowntree, as there are not many others nearby.
Although further out of town from the other two mentioned spots, Rowntree has such a great atmosphere and is a great place to enjoy a picnic or even a BBQ on an evening.
It has a similar vibe to the Museum Gardens but is generally more relaxed as it is not a monitored area.
The actual park itself, with the gardens and pond, closes at 10pm, whereas the fields surrounding the park as well as the light-up bridge are open 24/7.
Throughout my university experience, I have enjoyed countless trips to Rowntree, and it remains one of my favourite spots in York. Many other students gather there too, enjoying picnics with their music on, or playing sports in the fields.
It is also not uncommon for Rowntree to be busy later into the night, with people still enjoying the park around 11pm-12am.
Whilst these are some of my favourite spots, there are many other green spaces around York which are yet to be discovered, and you may find your favourites beyond these. But if you are attending York St John and visiting York, definitely take a visit to at least one of these places.
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