The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is the UK’s most popular heritage railway. It runs almost 24miles through the stunning North York Moors National Park from its terminus in Pickering towards Whitby via Goathland (Heartbeat) and Grosmont (Harry Potter).
We are ideally situated at the foot of the North York Moors National Park. The Park covers an area of 554 square miles (1,436 square kilometres) and has 26 miles of coastline. There are 1,408 miles (2,268km) of Public Rights of Way in the National Park including the Cleveland Way. Chimney Bank, only 7 miles from us in Rosedale, is one of the steepest roads in England with a gradient of 1 in 3 – not to be tackled in winter!
Dalby Forest is the great Yorkshire Forest and covers around 8000 acres. It is home to breath-taking views, endless walking, running and cycle trails. It has 55 miles of cycling trails from family-friendly to more extreme routes such as the UCI World Cup course. Bike-hire is available. Also, if you fancy a ‘tree-top’ adventure try one of the Go Ape high-rope adventures!
Ryedale Folk Museum is one of our ‘highly recommended’ places to visit. Set in over six acres in the beautiful village of Hutton le Hole, the Museum is the ideal location to explore the region’s history and stories. With more than twenty heritage buildings and 40,000 objects we often liken it to a ‘mini’ Beamish. With a medieval Manor House, Iron-Age Roundhouse, farming area with farmyard animals, olden-days shops and crafts – there is something for everyone. The museum is also accessible.
Situated within the Howardian Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Castle Howard is a magnificent 18th stately home and home to the Howard family for over 300 years. It has dramatic interiors filled with world-renowned collections and, outside, a monumental landscape dotted with temples, lakes, statues, fountains and woodland trails. Plus, with four restaurants, a gift shop, garden centre and farm shop there is plenty to see and do at this magnificent house.
Another of our favourite places to visit. Nunnington Hall – a National Trust property – is a picturesque Yorkshire manor house set in the lovely North Yorkshire village of Nunnington. Nestled on the quiet banks of the River Rye it has an organic walled garden with spring-flowering meadows, peacocks and a changing programme of exclusive and high profile art and photography exhibitions. The restaurant and tea rooms are the perfect place to have lunch and they use all produce from their own garden.
Set in a tranquil valley of the North York Moors, Rievaulx Abbey is an impressive sight when you first come upon it. Once inside you can wander the extensive ruins of the abbey to discover more about the building and how it looked at various stages of its development. The museum displays previously unseen artefacts which tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of the first Cistercian abbey in the North of England. With an excellent visitor centre and a new tearoom overlooking the abbey this English Heritage property is well worth a visit. An excellent way of visiting is to park in the nearby Market Town of Helmsley and walk to the Abbey. A map is available on the English Heritage website – see the link above.
We are centrally located between all the major market towns in this region. Pickering is only 2 miles away, Helmsley is 10 miles west, Malton (Food Capital of North Yorkshire) and Norton are 10 miles south.
The Yorkshire coast has something to offer all tastes. Whether you want peace and solitude, walks along the miles of golden sandy beaches, invigorating adventure or merely the chance to relax and explore the many charming Yorkshire Coast towns and villages and beautiful countryside. We are only a 25 minute drive to the major coastal towns of Whitby or Scarborough. Dotted in between these are smaller fishing ports and bays. Filey is further south and still retains that ‘old-fashioned’ seaside resort complete with rides and bandstand.