Compare 32 lodges near Thirsk, closest first – filter by hot tubs, pets, pools and more, then check dates and prices.
York Marina, crowned UK Inland Marina of the Year 2026 at the Southampton International Boat Show, is an adult-only retreat situated in the riverside village of Naburn, near York.
Aysgarth Lodges combines luxury with the ultimate in sophistication in this collection of chic lodges each with its own hot tub ideal for soaking up the Wensleydale views.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
Driving Distance: About 21 minutes (10.8 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes
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.
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.
Driving Distance: About 23 minutes (18.1 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 4 | Dogs: Yes
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.
Driving Distance: About 25 minutes (16.5 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes
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.
Driving Distance: About 26 minutes (17.5 miles) | Sleeps: Up to 6 | Dogs: Yes
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.
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.
Every holiday park above has hot tub lodges and welcomes pets, so it usually comes down to who’s coming.
Sharing a three-bedroom lodge between two families often costs less per head than booking two small ones. Try the numbers here.
Lodges come with the basics, but tick off these extras as you pack for your getaway.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
Honestly, any month works, because the tub is the point.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The racecourse holds 16 flat meetings between April and September, including the Hunt Cup in May.
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.
