Castleford's Diggerland and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield are named Yorkshire's favourite attractions

Castleford's Diggerland and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield have been crowned Yorkshire’s Favourite Outdoor and Indoor Attraction 2019.
Castleford's Diggerland and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield have beencrowned Yorkshires Favourite Outdoor and Indoor Attraction 2019.Castleford's Diggerland and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield have beencrowned Yorkshires Favourite Outdoor and Indoor Attraction 2019.
Castleford's Diggerland and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield have beencrowned Yorkshires Favourite Outdoor and Indoor Attraction 2019.

The competition, from Yorkshire Attractions, saw Diggerland Yorkshire named as the best outdoor venue with the Overton museum names as best indoor activity.

More than 13,000 votes were cast for 20 different attractions, including Bronte Parsonage Museum and Cannon Hall Farm, named voted runners up, and The Deep and Yorkshire Wildlife Park which took third place.

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Harewood House, Royal Armouries, The Emmerdale Experience and Tropical World, all in Leeds, were also in the running.

Diggerland Yorkshire is an alternative theme park where children and adults alike can ride, drive and operate real diggers. This award-winning experience hosts a multitude of full-sized construction machinery such as JCBs and 180/360 excavators.

The attraction also boasts outdoor and indoor play areas for younger children as well as head-reeling rides, go-karts and dodgems for the whole family.

Chris Simmonett, general manager at Diggerland Yorkshire, said: "We are absolutely delighted and humbled to have been voted in as first place by the Yorkshire public for Yorkshire's Favourite Outdoor Attraction for 2019.

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"It means the absolute world to the management and the staff to have won such a prestigious award. It is great to know our hard work has paid off."

The National Coal Mining Museum for England aims to keep coal mining alive by collecting and preserving the industry’s rich heritage, creating enjoyable and inspiring ways to learn.

Visitors are given a hard hat and lamp to travel on an adventure, 140 metres underground, learning from former miners as they tell the tales of their careers.

Jenny Layfield, museum director, said: “We are a unique national attraction in Wakefield with a lot of grit and charm, and, for us, the greatest accolade is that this has been recognised and voted for by the public.

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We are constantly developing and this year we have completely replaced our main gallery and improved the visitor welcome. We are excited that our hard work has been acknowledged by our visitors and this is a wonderful motivation to keep improving.”

All public votes have been entered in to a prize draw to win a two-night stay at the Hampton by Hilton Leeds, a bumper pack of family tickets to select attractions and a £100 Trinity Leeds gift card.

For more information, visit www.yorkshireattractions.org

Gemma Jimmison