Old fashioned family fun at Ribby Hall Village   

Ribby Hall Village is a family-run holiday park on the Lancashire coast just south of Blackpool. The park is in the countryside close to picturesque Wrea Green, a classic English village of thatched houses, cricket pitch beside the duck pond and traditional pub. Blackpool Pleasure Beach is, however, just a 15 minute drive away, as are the beaches of Lytham and St Annes which both have long stretches of quiet walks as well as a bustling seaside pier with arcades and donkey rides.

The 100 acre Ribby Hall Village is dominated by a hotel and spa, but we stayed in one of the surrounding self-catering ‘Luxury Cottages’ which sleeps 6
but there are also Pine Lodges which sleep 4 or 6 as well as three high-end properties on site that sleep 8,10 or 14. The Ribby Hall pricing matrix is quite complicated and prices depend on each property’s size, their proximity to one of the village’s two small lakes and the season. But the
system is very flexible, and they even offer single motel rooms by the night which means you could juggle the kids around with friends (which is what we did) to secure the best deals and share costs. Prices for a sleeps 4 cottage stretch from around £280 for a mid-week stay (4 nights) right up to nearly £2000 for a full week in peak season. They always have offers so check their website for latest deals and packages.

Accommodation

Our single story mews cottage, part of a close of about a dozen adjoining cottages, was spacious and spotlessly clean. Patio doors opened onto a picnic table and BBQ area adjoining a large shared green, so the kids soon found other kids from neighbouring cottages which was great for them. (and us!). The older kids (8+) were fine heading off on their own to explore, but as there are ponds and lakes around (plus slow moving park traffic) they probably need to be fencing in some of the accommodation gardens for those families with young kids. However, the family of baby ducks that came running over every time they saw us, kept our youngest amused for hours! The cottage’s kitchen facilities were pretty basic (ie. no dishwasher) but overall the property was just fine.

Facilities and on-site activities 

The park has a wide range of free activities but our days centred
around the large leisure pool with flumes, spa tubs, baby pool with toys. The well-appointed leisure centre also has squash courts and various fitness classes (as well as a Starbucks and takeaway pizza joint!). Just outside is a large adventure playpark for younger kids which kept them amused.

Other family activities on site (which cost extra) include pedaloes and canoes on the small lake plus climbing wall, pony rides, archery and many more. Segways and bikes can be rented by the hour. There is also a luxury Spa up in the main hotel with a full slate of treatments plus gym and adults-only spa pool.

As well as the takeaway pizza joint, there are two restaurants on site (and two more up in the hotel).

In summary

In conclusion, Ribby Hall Village, which is just 3 hours south of Edinburgh and Glasgow, (straight down the M6 and turn right at signs for Blackpool) is an ideal weekend location for families visiting the Blackpool Pleasure Beach. There’s plenty to do on site, staff are friendly, the accommodation is clean and spacious and the food is good.