COVERDALE - 40 MINS FROM PATELEY BRIDGE
The Forbidden
Corner
One of the most original and eccentric attractions in England. A garden, a labyrinth, a folly and a genuine puzzle all in one - set in the grounds of a private estate in the heart of Coverdale. Nothing quite prepares you for it and most people who visit come back.
Visit information
- Address
- Tupgill Park Estate, Coverdale, Middleham DL8 4TJ
- From Pateley Bridge
- Approx 40 minutes via Masham and Coverdale
- Booking
- Pre-booking essential - online only at theforbiddencorner.co.uk
- Season
- Open April to October only. Timed entry slots.
- Duration
- Allow at least 2 hours. Most visitors stay 3 hours or more.
- Dogs
- Dogs on leads welcome - the grounds are largely outdoors
What is the Forbidden Corner?
The Forbidden Corner was created by Colin Armstrong in the 1990s as a private pleasure ground on his estate at Tupgill Park. He built tunnels, follies, a temple, mysterious chambers and a network of paths through a walled garden and woodland, filling them with sculpture and theatrical surprises.
Originally built just for friends and family, word spread and the waiting list for visits grew so long that it opened to the public. It is now one of the most visited attractions in the Yorkshire Dales and still unlike anything else you will find in England.
The experience is deliberately disorientating. Paths lead to dead ends, doors open onto walls, and the map given at the entrance is more of a joke than a guide. The point is to explore, to be surprised, and to keep discovering things. It works for adults and children in quite different ways.
What to expect
The Forbidden Corner is mostly outdoors, though there are underground sections. Dress for the weather and wear shoes you don't mind getting wet - the water features are unpredictable and children invariably end up soaked.
The grounds cover several acres and the walk between different sections is part of the fun. Allow at least two hours, though most people spend three or more. There is a small cafe on site.
The drive to Tupgill Park is itself beautiful - Coverdale is one of the quietest and most underrated of the Yorkshire Dales. The road from Middleham to Kettlewell over the top is stunning on a clear day.
Highlights
The four-faced statue
The entrance guardian to the Forbidden Corner. Four faces carved in stone that seem to watch from every direction as you pass. The start of the experience.
The Temple of the Underworld
A dark labyrinth of stone passages and vaulted chambers lit by strange lights. Unexpected sculptures appear at every turn. Disorienting, theatrical and brilliant.
The tunnels
A network of underground passages linking the garden's secret rooms. Some are lit, some are not. There are sound effects, unexpected jets of water and things that appear when you press buttons. Children find these irresistible.
The follies and chambers
Above ground, the grounds contain a series of chambers, towers and follies connected by paths through the woodland garden. The landscape is planted with rare trees and shrubs collected over decades.
Unexpected water
Part of the fun of the Forbidden Corner is not knowing what will happen next. Paths that seem safe turn out to have water traps. Stones that look like stepping stones turn into fountains. Children get soaked, and they love it.
THE ROUTE
Getting there from Pateley Bridge
Head north from Pateley Bridge towards Ramsgill and Lofthouse, then over the moor to Masham. From Masham follow signs to Middleham and then into Coverdale towards Tupgill Park. The whole drive takes around 40 minutes on quiet country roads, and the approach through Coverdale is genuinely beautiful.
Alternatively approach via the high road over to Kettlewell and through Coverdale from the west - a more dramatic route on a clear day with views over Wharfedale.
Book before you go
The Forbidden Corner is very popular and timed entry slots sell out in advance, particularly in summer and on weekends. Book online before you travel.