Will It Snow in Yorkshire? Only at Xscape Snozone
There is a wonderful leveller on the slopes at Xscape Snow – just outside Castleford, West Yorkshire and opposite Junction 32, of the M62.
It doesn’t matter if this is your very first time clipping into your ski boots, if you’re cautiously working your way back after a long break (this could mean of time or one of those important bones within your body that is so very needed!), or if you’re confident enough to carve smooth, flowing turns from the top and practising for a well-deserved winter holiday. Here, everyone – no matter of your age or ability belongs in this icy cold place. And yes — more than just once (per trip) from the top, you may just find yourself being effortlessly overtaken by a fearless three-year-old who seems to have been born on skis or a snowboard. It’s all part of the charm as is being shown how (despite the thousands of hours that you may have already had on the Austrian mountains), you will never be as frustratingly good as what they are! Makes you sick doesn’t it but such is life.......
This is a place built for all abilities.
From the moment you arrive, everything feels easy. A huge and plentiful car park, a clearly laid-out complex, and a warm welcome before you even reach the slopes of snow. Inside, the temperature drops and the atmosphere shifts. Music plays softly across the hill of white that opens up in front of you, creating a rhythm that carries you downhill, while real snow — constantly being refreshed — lies beneath your feet as it falls from the ceiling above.
Skis, snowboards, boots, helmets… all available to hire, are properly fitted, removing the stress before you even start your first lesson. These are led by qualified, highly experienced instructors who adapt to everyone, from tiny beginners to adults rediscovering their confidence. Progress happens at your pace and that at which you are comfortable. Whether that means gentle snowplough turns or confident descents at high speed from the top. To these folk, the next stop tends to be the downhill event at the Winter Olympics where speeds of over 90mph are reached. For me though, little old humble me – this is the same speed that the ambulance will hit just before it arrives and I am wheeled on a trolley into the Accident and Emergency Department at Pontefract Hospital!!
What goes down, must go up and in order to do this, the ski lift does the hard work on the way to the half way point or to its top. It quietly pulls you with ease where you can then take a break and catch your breath, watch others glide past, and prepare you mentally for the joy of the upcoming and down going descent. Going up is calm and unhurried. Going down is where smiles appear — sometimes cautious, sometimes wide, but always genuine and for those with a little five o clock shadow, this is tinged with ice crystals tightly interwoven and attached to the beard.
Around you, the slope is alive. Freestyle sessions bring moments of impressive acrobatics and technical skill. Nearby, the tubing lanes ring with raucous laughter as people race, spin and slide purely for fun. It’s not just about learning here — it’s about creating an amazing atmosphere.
Above it all, fresh snow falls steadily from a hidden network of pipes high up in the ceiling. Just like in the mountains, water turns into snow flakes, drifting gently down, dancing in the air currents created by the movement of each skier and snowboarder as they pass beneath. It catches the light, softens the sound, and creates a moment that feels quietly magical.
And when your session ends, it is not just about being cold, there is the perfect place to thaw out and warm those frozen fingers.
No glowing wooden fire or log mountain hut — but instead a welcoming bar, a child-friendly café with huge windows that separate you from the cold, overlooking the slopes. From here, you can watch friends, family, or complete strangers take their turns, cheeks flushed red, smiles unmistakable. A hot cup of chocolate in your hands feels just right, warming fingers and faces alike. Cosy red cheeks are not mandatory, but they fit right in here.
Xscape Snow may be indoors, but it delivers the feeling of a perfect day on the piste — without the flights, the pine trees, without the altitude, the expensive food and the après ski being added to your final bill. Here is a place where the snow lays deep, whilst waiting all year round for you and you do not have to visit the travel agent and when the totals are all added up, you won’t be the one asking that lifelong Yorkshire question, “OW MUCH???”
Whether you’re five, fifty-five or one hundred and five, tentative or confident, learning or refining… this is a place where winter lives all year around, and everyone is invited to slide into it.
Here are the current contact details for Xscape Yorkshire and its indoor snow facility:
📍 Address
Xscape Yorkshire
Colorado Way, Glasshoughton, Castleford,
West Yorkshire, WF10 4TA, United Kingdom
🚗 How to Get There
Easily accessed from Junction 32 of the M62 (signposted) with plentiful free parking on site.
A train station (Glasshoughton) is nearby with regular services from Leeds and Wakefield.
Step onto the slope and you can expect real snow crunching beneath your feet, gentle music playing in the background and an atmosphere that feels welcoming rather than intimidating. Whether you take your time edging carefully downhill or let gravity do the work with a grin on your face, the experience is unhurried, inclusive, and quietly joyful — proof that you don’t need mountains to find a little bit of magic on the piste.
Now, who is up for making a few snow angels with me?