Hill Farm Holiday Cottages
Rosedale, North Yorkshire
List of ContentsNorth York MoorsWildlife York The Coast Country Houses Other Heritage sites North York Moors Railway Family Fun Other Links |
IntroductionFirst-time visitors to Hill Farm Holiday Cottages have commented on the number and variety of places to go and things to see in the local area. The cottages each have a folder giving our guests more detail on these attractions. Here is just a sample of some of the delights of the area.The North York MoorsThe North York Moors National Park contains the largest area of continuous heather moorland in England and Wales, and has the highest proportion of forest of any of the English National Parks. The Park Authority runs 2 visitor centres; Sutton Bank is the larger of the two on the A170 near Thirsk (22 miles); Danby is in the Esk Valley near Castleton (12 miles). The centres have different displays showing the history of and present-day life in the Moors. A number of marked walks originate from them, and guided walks led by a Wildlife Ranger are available at certain times of the year.The National Park is renowned for its 'crosses', often marking the routes taken by monks, pilgrims, etc. between religious houses and between houses and their burial sites. Indeed, 'Young Ralph' at the head of Rosedale is the emblem of the Park, and nearby is the well-known 'Fat Betty', a monolith that looks nothing like a cross! The Moors are an ideal area for walking, with some spectacular walks starting from our doorstep. Moorland, woodland, riverside, and coastal paths are within easy reach. You can walk on the old Rosedale railway line which transported ironstone, a Roman road on Wheeldale moor, pick up the Lyke Wake Walk, or Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk across the moors. 
[ Click on a picture to enlarge it ] WildlifeThe moors, woods, and coast teem with wildlife of all kinds. There are bird watching car parks in some of the forests, so you don't even have to get wet if it rains!The RSPB reserves at Bempton with its dramatic cliffs and sea birds, and Fairburn Ings can make a good day trip, and we are only 45 minutes away from the recently-opened reserve at Saltholme on Tees-side. But you don't have to go that far; we have recorded 39 species of birds just looking out of the window! The North York Moors National Park Authority run a programme of events including wildlife topics throughout the year YorkLess than an hour away is the medieval city of York, with its ancient walls and magnificent Gothic Minster. You can mix chic city shopping with architectural splendour and numerous visitor attractions. York is the home of world class museums, including the National Railway Museum (entry free). At the Jorvik Centre, soak up the atmosphere of a reconstructed Viking city. You can discover every type of building from Roman baths to a cold-war bunker, or take a leisurely cruise along the river.
Click on the picture to enlarge it The CoastThe county of North Yorkshire offers the visitor a dramatic and varied coastline. On a visit to our Dinosaur Coast you can discover footprints and fossils from the Jurassic Age, along with quaint fishing villages such as Robin Hoods Bay and Staithes, where you can follow in the footsteps of the smugglers. The picturesque fishing port of Whitby (17 miles), with its famous Abbey is always worth a visit, if only for the fantastic fish and chips!Scarborough (28 miles) is a traditional 'bucket and spade' resort, suitable for the whole family. Nearby Filey is its smaller brother, less brash, and more genteel, with beautiful sweeping sands. 
[ Click on a picture to enlarge it ] Country HousesCastle Howard, a magnificent 18th century house built by Sir John Vanbrugh, has been the home of the Howard family (a junior branch of the Earls of Carlisle) for over 300 years. The extensive gardens are well worth a visit, and the Arboretum (which can be visited seperately) is the home of the Northern Collection of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Castle Howard is probably most famous for being the location for the TV series Brideshead Revisited.
[ Click on the picture to enlarge it ] Duncombe Park in the pretty market town of Helmsley, is the home of Lord and Lady Feversham. Nunnington Hall, a National Trust property, is a beautiful 17th century manor house with the ghost of a wicked stepmother, and is the home of the Carlisle collection of tiny houses decked with hundreds of minuscule objects, from musical instruments to screws and sandpaper. There are many other grand houses within easy reach. Details can be found in the cottages Other Heritage SitesWe are spoilt for choice with the many ruined abbeys and castles in the area. The English Heritage website gives full details of properties that they manage. There are also National Park websites on Abbeys and Priories and on CastlesWe recommend
[ Click on the picture to enlarge it ] The North Yorkshire Moors RailwayThe North Yorkshire Moors Railway (which is it's correct title) was founded by a group of preservation enthusiasts, to take over part of the closed Malton to Whitby line. The line from Pickering to Grosmont was reopened in 1973, but agreement was reached with Network Rail in 2007 to run through to Whitby, which has made a train journey more popular than ever.The stations at Pickering (shown below) and Goathland were both featured in the Harry Potter films, and of course, Goathland is 'Aidensfield' in the ITV series Heartbeat. The railway offers passengers the opportunity to leave the train en-route to go walking in the Moors, to rejoin the train either at the same station, or at another further along the line. 
[ Click on the picture to enlarge it ] Trains are usually steam-powered, attracting the rail enthusiast of all ages, especially when a famous locomotive visits. The railway runs special restaurant trains on summer evenings, and throughout the year has special weekends, including the Santa Specials in December. In October, Pickering station becomes the focus for a wartime weekend involving the whole town. Full details of all special events are given in the annual train timetable. Family FunWhere do you stop with a category like this? If countryside, stately homes, and ruins are not 'cool', how about taking the little ones, and bigger ones to
The National Park website has information on other activities, including Other LinksThere are a number of other websites that give information about the area, including |