Hotels in North York Moors

Walking is a popular pastime in this region, ranging from gentle strolls to long treks such as the 40-mile Cleveland Way (Helmsley via Saltburn-by-the-Sea down the coast to Filey) and Lyke Wake Walk (Urra Moor to Ravenscar). Here heather covered uplands are sliced by deep valleys where farmsteads and villages cluster and where medieval monks built their monasteries. One of the best examples are the 12th century ruins of the Cistercian Rievaulx Abbey.

The North York Moors Railway is a fine way to see this landscape. Its 18-mile journey starts at Pickering, passes through Pickering Castle Deer Park and spectacular Newtondale gorge and finishes at Grosmont, near the Mallyan Spout waterfall.

The Moors are full of Roman and earlier remains, like Danby Rigg and Wade’s Causeway, at 1.25 miles one of Britain’s best Roman roadway remains.

Castle Howard, at the southern end of the National Park , was the setting for Brideshead Revisited. It was designed by John Vanburgh for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle and contains works by Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Reynolds. Its grounds include a 70-acre lake. It is now the home of the Howard family.

Scarborough is a resort town, spa and fishing town and was the birthplace of playwright Alan Ayckbourn. Most of his plays have had their premieres here.

Whitby is a former whaling port. The Cook Museum recalls the life and times of the explorer who lived here 1746-9. The Abbey ruins look down on to the port.