Lightwater Valley

North Yorkshire family adventure park tailored for under 12s. 36 rides and attractions with 22 having no height restrictions. Perfect for young families seeking age-appropriate thrills.

Data last verified on 1 March 2026. Always confirm critical restrictions with the park on the day of your visit.

Ripon, North Yorkshire

North Stainley

Visit Website Call 01765 635321

Quick Stats

Total Rides:: 36
No Restrictions:: 22
Adult Price:: £25
Child Price:: £25
Parking:: £4
Updated:: 1 March 2026

Opening Hours

10:00 - 17:00 (seasonal variations)

All Rides & Attractions

📏

Check Your Height

Enter your child's height to see which rides they can enjoy

Height in cm

cm

Quick select:

Intensity:

Showing 36 of 36 rides


🎪 Adventure Play Adventure playground with challenges.	Play Area	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Carousel Traditional carousel horses.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Clownaround Colourful circus-themed merry-go-round.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
🎯 Dino Dig Dig for dinosaur fossils.	Interactive	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Dragon Boats Dragon-themed boats on water.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Dragon Drop Gentle drop ride for younger children.	Family	👤100cm alone	Low
🎯 Eagles Creek Farm Meet and feed farm animals.	Interactive	No restriction	Gentle
🎪 Ebor's Soft Play Huge indoor soft play area.	Play Area	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Elephant Flight Flying elephant themed ride.	Family	👤90cm alone	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Flying Cutlass Pirate ship swing ride.	Family	👤110cm alone	Medium
👨‍👩‍👧 Hot Air Balloons Rise and fall balloon ride.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Jeep Safari Drive jeeps through safari-themed area.	Family	👤90cm alone	Gentle
🎪 Jungle Jump Jungle themed bouncing area.	Play Area	No restriction	Gentle
🎯 Jurassic Adventure Golf Dinosaur themed mini golf.	Interactive	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Kangaroo Jump Bouncing kangaroo ride.	Family	👤90cm alone	Gentle
🎢 Ladybird Gentle first coaster - perfect for young children.	Coaster	👤90cm alone	Low
🔭 Lakeside Walk Scenic walk around the lake.	Observation	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Lightwater Express Train Main park train around the lake.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
🎭 Meet Ebor & Friends Character meet and greets throughout the day.	Show	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Monkey Drop Mini drop tower for building confidence.	Family	👤110cm alone	Medium
🎪 Outdoor Play Large outdoor playground.	Play Area	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Pirate Swinger Gentle swinging ride in pirate theme.	Family	👤90cm alone	Gentle
⚡ Powder Kegs Exciting spinning ride without overwhelming young riders.	Thrill	👤120cm alone	Medium
👨‍👩‍👧 Savanna Express Train ride through the park.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Skate Karts Pedal karts around a track.	Family	👤100cm alone	Low
🎪 Skull Rock Pirate themed climbing structure.	Play Area	No restriction	Gentle
⚡ Skyrider The park's biggest thrill ride - appropriate intensity for under 12s.	Thrill	👤130cm alone	High
👨‍👩‍👧 Spin Bug New spinning bug ride for young children.	Family	👤90cm alone	Gentle
🎢 Spinning Racer New spinning coaster opening March 28 2026 - the first major addition by new owners Mellors Group. Reaches 70km/h with twists, turns and unpredictable spinning action. Built by Maurer Sohne.	Coaster	👥120cm 👤140cm alone	High
💧 Splash Falls Gentle water ride with small splash.	Water	👤90cm alone	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Swan Boats Pedal swan boats on the lake.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 The Caterpillar Gentle caterpillar train ride.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
🎭 Valley Theatre Live shows and entertainment.	Show	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Vintage Cars Ride in vintage cars around a track.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
👨‍👩‍👧 Wave Rider Gentle wave motion ride.	Family	No restriction	Gentle
🎪 Woodland Play Natural woodland play area.	Play Area	No restriction	Gentle

Rides by Height Requirement

22

No Restriction

Perfect for all ages

9

Under 110cm

Great for young children

5

110-140cm

Adventure starts here

0

140cm+

Thrill rides

Location

Loading map...

Address

North Stainley

Ripon

HG4 3HT

United Kingdom

Get Directions View on Google Maps

Lat: 54.1667

Lng: -1.55

Complete Park Guide

Lightwater Valley Height Guide

> New Ownership (December 2025): Lightwater Valley was acquired by Mellors Group in December 2025. The new owners have pledged significant investment in the park. Their first addition is a Spinning Racer coaster, opening March 28, 2026 — see the 2026 additions section below.

Lightwater Valley is a family adventure park specifically tailored for children under 12. With 36 rides and attractions, including 22 with no height restrictions, it's perfect for young families seeking age-appropriate fun in the Yorkshire countryside.

Sections

12

Organized insights

Reading Time

~4 min

Plan ahead quickly

Highlights

3

Need-to-know tips

Guide Section

Park Highlights

Deliberately designed for younger children - no intimidating thrill rides.

Under 12s Focus

Deliberately designed for younger children - no intimidating thrill rides.

22 No-Restriction Rides

More than any comparable UK park - everyone can enjoy together.

Beautiful Setting

Countryside location in North Yorkshire with lakeside walks.

Eagles Creek Farm

Meet and interact with farm animals included with entry.

Height Strategy

Height Breakdown

Incredible selection for all ages:

No Height Restriction (22 Rides!)

Incredible selection for all ages:

Valley Theatre
Ebor's Soft Play (indoor play)
Vintage Cars
Savanna Express train
Outdoor Play areas
Carousel
Swan Boats
Hot Air Balloons
Dragon Boats
Woodland Play
Dino Dig
And 11 more!

90cm+ (7 Rides)

Perfect first rides:

Spin Bug (90cm)
Jeep Safari (90cm)
Splash Falls (90cm)
Kangaroo Jump (90cm)
Elephant Flight (90cm)
Ladybird (90cm)
Pirate Swinger (90cm)

100cm+ (2 Rides)

Growing confidence:

Dragon Drop (100cm)
Skate Karts (100cm)

110cm+ (2 Rides)

Bigger adventures:

Monkey Drop (110cm)
Flying Cutlass (110cm)

120-130cm (3 Rides)

Maximum thrills for this age group:

Powder Kegs (120cm)
Spinning Racer (120cm with adult, 140cm alone) - NEW for 2026!
Skyrider (130cm) - park's biggest thrill

Planning Tips

Best For

Toddlers (under 90cm): EXCELLENT - 22 no-restriction rides!
Young Children (90-110cm): Perfect! Park designed for this age
Older Children (110-130cm): Great - appropriate thrills without intimidation
Pre-teens approaching 130cm: Good but may want bigger thrills soon

Ride Highlights

Featured Attractions

The park's biggest thrill at 130cm minimum - appropriate intensity for under 12s.

Skyrider

The park's biggest thrill at 130cm minimum - appropriate intensity for under 12s.

Powder Kegs

Exciting ride at 120cm - thrills without overwhelming young riders.

Eagles Creek Farm

Meet sheep, goats, rabbits and more. Included with entry, multiple daily activities.

Ebor's Soft Play

Huge indoor play area for all weathers - no height restriction.

New for Recent Seasons

Spinning Racer - New spinning coaster opening March 28 2026
Spin Bug - Spinning ride for young children
Safari Jeep Ride - Drive through adventure

Guide Section

Themed Areas

Tropical adventures with Jeep Safari, Jungle Jump, and themed rides.

Jungle Area

Tropical adventures with Jeep Safari, Jungle Jump, and themed rides.

Pirate Zone

Pirate Swinger, Skull Rock, and swashbuckling fun.

Dino-Stone Park

Dinosaur themed with Dino Dig fossil hunting.

Lakeside

Swan Boats and scenic walks around the lake.

Guide Section

Park Philosophy

Lightwater Valley deliberately removed rides that required 140cm+ height restrictions to maintain focus on under 12s. They won't compromise their family-friendly mission for bigger thrills.

Lightwater Valley deliberately removed rides that required 140cm+ height restrictions to maintain focus on under 12s. They won't compromise their family-friendly mission for bigger thrills.

Planning Tips