Buckden House Outdoor Education Centre is run as part of Bradford Council's Children's Services and we provide a varied range of outdoor learning opportunities for Bradford Schools. Buckden
House is based in Buckden village in the majestic Upper Wharfedale valley. The meandering river Wharfe is on our doorstep along with caves, gorges and hills surrounding the valley. The centre is just an hour and half from the centre of Bradford.
The centre complies with the Health and Safety Executive's Adventure Acticities Licensing Scheme and is accredited for caving and potholing, gill and gorge scrambling, climbing, mountaineering and trekking. We also have a high ropes and low ropes course,
archery, tree climbing, cargo-net climb and knotted rope climb, abseiling, orienteering, bushcraft, local and hill walks amongst many other activities.
The centre is fully open and available to all.
Buckden House offers self-catering residentials. Catering can be provided at additonal cost. Groups have full use of the centre's fully-equipped kitchen and servery to prepare their own meals. We can assist you in meal ideas and choices
and what works best through many years of providing residentials. This gives a greater choice for schools and groups. The upgrading of the heating and hot water system is now complete along with the centre's outdoor kitchen which hosts a gas-fired pizza oven
and electric hot plate.
During the late autumn and spring, we host music and drama groups that are prepearing for Christmas and spring performances. This works particualrly well with the layout of our building as we have two seperate bases for rehersals. Furthermore, in preparation
for GCSE exams the centre has weekends available for additional study or booster classes. These are usually mixed in with low-level activities to give pupil's minds a chance to take in their studies and consolidate their leanring.
As the centre continues to diversify its offer. There is now the opporutnity for groups of families and friends to book for their own adventures over wekends and school holidays.
Day trips
In addition to resdientials, the centre is also able to offer day trips too. These can include specific curricular sessions, such as compare and contrast Village Studies and Yorkshire Dales locations or bepspoke adventurous activities inline with our normal
programmes.
Availability
There is still availability during the spring term for day trips and residentials. However, there are only a few spaces left in our diary for the summer term 2025. Please get in tojch soone to secure your slot.
If you would like to discuss any dates for a visit or haven't been to the centre recently, please contact us (e-mail or 01756 760254) we would be happy to talk you
through a programme of activities and discuss the opportunities available.