Lodges in Thirsk With Hot Tubs

Picture it: a frosty evening in the Vale of York, the lid off the tub, steam curling up into a sky so dark you can pick out the Plough above the Hambleton Hills. That’s the pull of a lodge break round here. Thirsk is a small, friendly market town with cobbles, pubs round the square and the old surgery that inspired the Herriot books, so you’re never far from a good supper or a proper day out.

Steam rises off a private hot tub as dusk settles over the wooded hills east of Thirsk

This guide rounds up seven lodges in Thirsk with hot tubs or within about 35 minutes of the town centre, all from our own listings, with who each one suits, what’s nearby and when to go.

Above this guide you can browse every holiday lodge near town. Each one shows live availability for your stay.

Where are the best lodges in Thirsk with hot tubs?

Tap a column heading to sort these lodges with hot tubs, or filter to show only the dog friendly ones.

Lodge park	Drive (mins)	Sleeps	Hot tubs	Dogs
Woodland Lakes	6	8	Yes	Yes
Cedar Retreats	21	6	Yes	Yes
Hollybrook Lodges	23	4	Yes	Yes
South View Retreat	23	4	Yes	Yes
Kiplin Lodges	25	6	Yes	Yes
Yorkshire Spa Retreat	26	6	Yes	Yes
Sun Hill Lodges	34	6	Yes	Yes

Woodland Lakes, Vale of York

Driving Distance: About 6 minutes (2.4 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 8 | Dogs: Yes

The closest holiday park to town. The accommodation ranges from traditional wooden lodges and modern holiday homes sit around a set of fishing lakes, and the spa lodges come with their own hot tub on the deck. With room for up to 8, it’s the easiest pick for a bigger family get-together.

Indoor pool and on-site fishing
Café with a takeaway service for lazy nights in
On-site shop for the bits you forgot

Cedar Retreats, near Ripon

Driving Distance: About 21 minutes (10.8 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes

A small cluster of lakeside hot tub lodges a short drive west of Thirsk

Part of the Autograph Lodge Holidays collection, this is a small, romantic cluster of luxury lodges by a lake near West Tanfield. Inside it’s all contemporary design and cosy soft furnishings, a relaxing escape from the Yorkshire countryside outside.

Every lodge has decking with a hot tub looking over the water
Lodges such as Ripon Lodge, Masham Lodge and Daleside Lodge sleep up to 6
Selected lodges welcome dogs, so check the one you like

Hollybrook Lodges, Vale of York

Driving Distance: About 23 minutes (13.8 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 4 | Dogs: Yes

Small, select and peaceful, this holiday park sits midway between York and Thirsk in open countryside, which means you can do a morning at the Minster and still be back in the tub before dark. Rated 4.9 by guests, it’s one of the highest scoring parks in this list.

Fishing on site
Boating on the River Ouse and golf nearby

South View Retreat, North Yorkshire

Driving Distance: About 23 minutes (18.1 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 4 | Dogs: Yes

Every stay at this Bouja park comes with its own bubbling outdoor hot tub

Part of the Bouja collection, South View is the quirky one. Rolling hills greet you on arrival, and every place to stay has its own bubbling outdoor hot tub, so it’s made for a romantic escape for two or a small family with the dog in tow.

Kiplin Lodges, near Scorton

Driving Distance: About 25 minutes (16.5 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes

All the lodges at Kiplin have a private hot tub and the park is family friendly

Every lodge at Kiplin has a private hot tub, and the 11 acres of grounds are family and pet friendly. It sits between the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, so you can explore one national park on Saturday and the other on Sunday. The village of Scorton, about five minutes away, has a few pubs serving local food.

Richmond, with its castle and cobbled square, makes a good day out to explore further north.

Yorkshire Spa Retreat, Vale of York

Driving Distance: About 26 minutes (17.5 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes

This Magnificent collection park pairs lodges with an on-site spa in 11 acres

A newly developed spa and lodge park in over 11 acres of parkland, part of the Magnificent collection. Book a treatment, then walk back to your own deck.

Outdoor entertaining areas and Kamado Joe barbecues
Lit pergolas and high-spec hot tubs at specific lodges only, so filter for a tub when you book

Sun Hill Lodges, North Yorkshire

Driving Distance: About 34 minutes (22.8 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes

Another Autograph park, and the one for a special occasion. These bespoke lodges look out over the rolling North Yorkshire countryside at the gateway to the Dales. It’s adult focused, so it suits couples celebrating something or a few friends sharing a lodge for the weekend. Guests rate it 4.9.

Which hot tub log cabin near Thirsk suits you?

Every holiday park above has hot tub lodges and welcomes pets, so it usually comes down to who’s coming.

Couples: Cedar Retreats, South View and Sun Hill are quiet and built around the tub on the deck.
Families: Woodland Lakes has the indoor pool and space for 8, and Kiplin has 11 acres to run around.
Groups of friends: Woodland Lakes for the biggest lodges, or Sun Hill for a grown-up weekend.
Pet owners: all seven take pets, some only in selected lodges. You can also search every dog friendly lodge in the UK.
Spa lovers: Yorkshire Spa Retreat, as long as you pick a lodge with its own tub.

Sharing a three-bedroom lodge between two families often costs less per head than booking two small ones. Try the numbers here.

What to pack for a hot tub getaway in North Yorkshire

Lodges come with the basics, but tick off these extras as you pack for your getaway.

Swimwear for everyone, plus a spare set
Dressing gowns and flip flops for the dash to the tub
A warm hat for winter soaks under the stars
Walking boots for the moorland trails
Waterproof jacket, because the moors make their own weather
Binoculars for gliders and wildlife
Dog towel, lead and water bowl
Cash for car park machines that don’t give change
A cool bag for local cheese and pies
Board games for rainy evenings by the fire

Things to do in Thirsk town

Thirsk sits on the edge of the Vale of York with the Hambleton Hills rising to the east. Most of the town is walkable in an afternoon, there’s a host of shops and restaurants, and parking is easy at the Millgate and Marage car parks.

The World of James Herriot

Step into the real surgery at 23 Kirkgate where Alf Wight worked, still kitted out with period equipment and dispensary bottles. There are recreated TV studios, two Austin Sevens from the screen and a restored 1940s home. Thirsk was the model for Darrowby in the books, so you’ll spot the setting as you walk back through town.

Allow about 90 minutes. Adults pay £10 and children £5, it opens daily apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and only assistance dogs are allowed inside. Check the official site before you go.

Market days and Thomas Lord’s birthplace

Stalls have filled the cobbled square since a royal charter in 1145! They’re out every Monday and Saturday, so plan your arrival around one and stock up on local bread and cheese for the first night.

Just along Kirkgate, Thirsk Museum is free. Its eight period rooms fill the house where Thomas Lord, founder of Lord’s Cricket Ground, was born. It opens from just before Easter to early November, Monday to Saturday.

A day at the races

Flat racing runs from April to September, with 16 fixtures a year on Station Road, a short walk from the square. Big days include the Hunt Cup in May and a summer family day, and the racecourse website lists every date.

Walking trails and wildlife on the North York Moors

About 6 miles east of town, the road climbs Sutton Bank onto the North York Moors, and the view back over the Vale of York is the one Herriot called the finest in England. From the National Park Centre you can follow the escarpment past the Yorkshire Gliding Club to the top of the Kilburn White Horse, carved into the hillside, with Gormire Lake glinting in the woodland below. The café is dog friendly, and kids love the treehouse play area.

After dark it’s even better. The North York Moors became an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2020, and Sutton Bank is a Dark Sky Discovery Site.

Byland Abbey

Early gothic ruins whose west front inspired the rose window at York Minster. English Heritage keeps the grounds open free in daylight hours, and the car park takes about nine cars, so go early on a sunny weekend.

Attraction	Where	When it’s open	Cost (at the time of writing)
Herriot’s surgery	Kirkgate, Thirsk	Daily, 9.30am to 5pm (March to October), 10am to 4pm in the colder months	£10 adults, £5 children
Thirsk Museum	Kirkgate, Thirsk	Before Easter to early November, Monday to Saturday	Free, donations welcome
Stalls in the square	Market Place	Every Monday and Saturday from 8.30am	Free
Racecourse	Station Road	16 race days, April to September	Varies by fixture
Sutton Bank National Park Centre	About 6 miles east on the A170	All year	Parking £2.50 up to 2 hours, £4.50 over
Byland Abbey	Near Coxwold, about 10 miles	Grounds open in daylight hours	Free

Day trips to York, Ripon and the coast

York is close enough for a day without the car: Grand Central trains reach it from Thirsk in about 16 minutes. Ripon, with Fountains Abbey on its doorstep, is a short hop west, and the Yorkshire Dales open up beyond Masham, with plenty to explore. Scarborough and Whitby are a longer run across the moors, so make a full day of it.

When is the best time for a hot tub break near Thirsk?

Honestly, any month works, because the tub is the point.

Quiet, cold and great for stargazing from the tub.

Half term brings families back, and clear nights are at their sharpest.

Herriot’s surgery moves to longer opening hours from 1 March.

The racing season starts and the museum reopens just before Easter.

Hunt Cup day and long, light evenings on the escarpment.

Warm days for the White Horse walk and late soaks as the sun goes down.

Peak season and more race days. Book early for school holiday weeks.

Heather turns the moors purple, but parks and car parks are at their busiest.

The last race meetings, quieter roads and mild evenings.

Autumn colour on the hills and half term breaks.

The Christmas fair and lights switch-on, then crisp, dark nights.

Christmas and New Year lodge breaks, with steam rising off the tub on frosty nights.

Calling all Christmas fans! The Thirsk Christmas Fair runs on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November 2026, with the lights switched on in the Market Place at 6.30pm on the Friday.

Getting to Thirsk

The town sits just off the A19 and A168, close to the A1(M). By rail, Grand Central runs direct to London in a little over two hours and TransPennine Express links it with York, Manchester Airport and Newcastle. The station is about 1.3 miles from the centre, so you’ll want a taxi or a lift to most parks.

Thirsk lodge FAQs

Which hot tub lodge is closest to Thirsk?

Woodland Lakes is about 6 minutes away (2.4 miles), with spa lodges that have their own hot tubs. The lakeside lodges near West Tanfield are next, about 21 minutes away.

Are the hot tubs private?

At Kiplin and South View every lodge has its own private hot tub. At Woodland Lakes and the spa park near York only some lodges have one, so tick the hot tub filter when you search.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes. All seven parks here take pets, though some only in selected lodges. The Sutton Bank café is dog friendly, but Herriot’s surgery only allows assistance dogs.

Are there log cabins in Thirsk?

Yes. Woodland Lakes has traditional wooden lodges a few minutes from town, and most of the other parks are timber lodges and log cabins with decking, a cosy interior and a tub. Search our accommodation by the hot tub filter to see them all.

When are the races on?

The racecourse holds 16 flat meetings between April and September, including the Hunt Cup in May.

Is there anything to do in the colder months?

Plenty. Herriot’s surgery opens all year, the Christmas fair comes at the end of November, and the Dark Sky Reserve is on your doorstep.

Fancy somewhere a little further afield? Try our guides to lodges near York, lodges near Helmsley and lodges near Harrogate, or see every park on our Yorkshire lodges page.

If it’s the tub you’re really after, browse all UK lodges with hot tubs. Then pick your park, pack the dressing gowns and book a holiday lodge in the Vale of York.

Lodges in Thirsk With Hot Tubs

32 Lodges Found

Angrove Country Park

Great Wood Lodges

Springwood Lodges

Flaxton Meadows Luxury Lodges

Brickyards Lakes Country Park

Griffon Forest

Malton Grange Country Park

Cropton Lodges

Jamies Cragg Holiday Park

Wighill Manor Lodges

Holly Tree Lodges

Keldy

Wyke Lodges

Pickering Lodges

Weir Holiday Park

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