A BOROUGHBRIDGE cafe has been recognised for its family-friendly service by a popular parenting website.

Users of www.netmums.com have voted the Old Foundry Kitchen cafe – on Foundry Yard, New Row in the town – the most family-friendly place to eat in North Yorkshire.

The cafe boasts plenty of room for pushchairs and wheelchairs and has a dedicated play area for little ones.

It has also established a calendar of activities for youngsters.

Regular events include Smarty Art, an arts and crafts session run by a qualified teacher for one to five-year-olds, French lessons for four to 11-year-olds, ‘Rag Rug’ workshops, and Friday morning story times.

Young visitors at Fountains Abbey have been encouraged to help our feathered friends by making their own bespoke bird boxes.

In a series of special workshops at the World Heritage Site, parents and children demonstrated their woodworking skills and took home new features for their gardens.

Staff were on hand to help constructing the perfect bird box as well as offering their expertise on the type of birds to look out for in gardens.

Cassandra White, visitor experience and learning officer said: “We’re really keen to get everyone a bit closer to the nature on their doorstep and building a bird box is the perfect way to encourage new wildlife into your garden as we head towards spring.

“And it has definitely proved popular with our visitors of all ages.”

The workshops were part of a series of half-term events at the abbey, which is Britain’s largest monastic ruin.

A two mile Wildlife Wander will take place on tomorrow, Saturday, February 18, which will offer the chance to discover more about the variety of wildlife that roams the 800 acre estate.

Children have also been taking part in a heraldic trail around the abbey, mill and water garden throughout the week.

The a bbey was founded in 1132 by 13 Benedictine monks who later became Cistercian monks.

The Studley Royal Estate, a separate estate from Fountains Abbey until 1767, was inherited by John Aislabie in 1693. who devoted himself to creating the Water Garden.

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