York is a must-visit place for anyone in the area for the first (or second, or third) time and is located 26 miles south of Pickering. The city is chiefly Medieval but dates to Roman days when it was called Eboracum, and the dominant feature is York Minster. York is a walled city, and large parts of the York City Walls (also known as the Bar Walls) remain, and you can walk along the pathway on top of them which is a lovely way to see the surroundings from a different angle. To avoid confusion, a Bar is a gateway through the walls into the city, not a pub; and a Gate is a street. York is steeped in history and is a great place to spend a full day wandering around to see what you can find. There are some delightful shops, especially in the Stonegate and Shambles area, and great places to eat.

The city center is relatively compact, which makes walking possible. You might even find a very short street with the very long name of Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate.

Here are a few specific things you can do in York. The Minster is a Gothic Cathedral which is larger than Notre Dame in Paris, is much more beautiful, and is not to be missed. It is an Anglican church, and you can sit in the choir stalls for Evensong at 5:30 pm most days (you won’t be expected to sing!). Excavations beneath the Minster have revealed remains of Roman streets, and the Undercroft Museum is well worth your time, as is the walk up the narrow winding staircase to the central tower to join the gargoyles for a view across the city. Sundays have limited hours https://yorkminster.org/visit/. If your feet are tired, boat cruises are available on the River Ouse https://www.cityexperiences.com/york/city-cruises/york-city-cruise/.

The Jorvik Museum is a sensory trip through Viking York https://www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/ or you can take a ghost tour. The National Railway Museum has a wonderful collection of old and modern trains and requires a free ticket https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/.

Parking is expensive in York especially if you plan to spend the whole day. Bootham Row or Marygate parking lots are the closest to the city center, ₤3.40/h.

Alternatively, there is free parking at park and ride lots on the outskirts of York for example Monk’s Cross, with buses to the city every 15 mins and a return fare of ₤3.80 per adult https://www.firstbus.co.uk/york/routes-and-maps/york-park-ride

Known as the gateway to the Moors, Pickering is about a 35-minute drive north of York. It is a pretty market town with a Monday market (marketplace closed to vehicles), afternoon business closings on Wednesdays, and has a variety of tea rooms and cafés (we especially recommend Bothams which is near the station).

There are three main attractions in Pickering – the church (St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s) which has an impressive set of murals on the inside depicting biblical and mythical scenes which were discovered some years ago. The 11th century ruins of Pickering Castle sit at the highest point of the town and are nice to wander around. It has a resident ghost (Rosamund).

The North York Moors Railway is worth scheduling into your trip, where you take a steam train (featured in numerous films including Harry Potter) through moorland valleys to Grosmont and back, jumping off the train to walk part way if you want. If you time it right, you can catch the regular Esk Valley train into Whitby from Grosmont. https://www.visitpickering.co.uk/explore/must-sees-and-dos/

Whitby is a picturesque fishing town on the east coast, about 20 miles north of Pickering and is popular with tourists. Famous as a key location in Bram Stoker's Dracula, the ruins of Whitby Abbey can inspire your imagination (and if reached by foot, improve your lung capacity climbing the steps out of town to get there).

The harbor is famous for its fish and chips, but there is also a smoking shed where you can buy smoked haddock (kippers), a traditional breakfast meal in the area. Whitby’s most famous son is Captain James Cook, the mariner who surveyed New Zealand and Eastern Australia in the 1700’s.

There is a small museum in his former house https://www.cookmuseumwhitby.co.uk/. Several nice hikes (for as long or short as you want) lead out of Whitby along the cliffs and in the area. This article is a nice overview of these and other things in Whitby. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/nov/29/car-free-break-in-whitby-bus-trains-coast-north-yorkshire

Another lovely market town, with a Friday market. Helmsley is 13 miles west of Pickering, and is a pleasant place to stop for lunch or a visit to Helmsley Castle https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/helmsley-castle/ or the restored Victorian Walled Garden (open Wed-Sun) https://helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk/visit/.

There are some nice boutique shops and restaurants.

If you haven’t eaten enough, the weekend immediately following the wedding is a food festival in Malton (5 miles south of Pickering). Here is the 2024 ad MALTON FOOD LOVERS FESTIVAL | SAT 25, SUN 26 & MON 27 MAY 2024 — Visit Malton

Harrogate is a little further afield but a good day trip away from the North York Moors area. Situated just outside Leeds and close to the Yorkshire Dales (another National Park), it is a “Spa” town, where people in the Victorian age would come to take the (supposedly healing) natural hot sulphur springs. Think back to the days of Agatha Christie. Famous for the open spaces (the “Strays”) and elegant Valley Gardens, this is a particularly elegant town. Visit the Pump House Museum (closed Mondays) and have afternoon tea at Betty’s tea rooms.

Hutton-le-Hole is a pretty moorland village west and north of Pickering, with sheep grazing at-large as they do across the moors. It is a nice place to start a hike, have a pub lunch, or visit the Ryedale Folk Museum (closed Fridays) https://www.ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk/

Rosedale Abbey is the name of a village, not an abbey (though there was one there, once). If you are on a bike, attempt the steepest public road in England “Chimney Bank”, or quit halfway up and have a pint at the White Horse Farm Inn. The village is set at the head of Rosedale from which several hikes are possible including near some old iron mines. Several tea shops and pubs are in Rosedale Abbey for sustenance before or after your hike or visit Gillies Jones glass blowing shop.

Sinnington is located just off the A170 a few miles west of Pickering. It has a lovely village green with the old schoolhouse. Notice the white Maypole outside the old school. The pupils from the new primary school perform intricate dances each May 1st using ribbons that plait patterns down the pole. Walk up to the tiny 12th century church on the hill and notice the priory windows in the barn next door. The Fox and Hounds is a good pub for lunch, and you can cross the humpback bridge (see if you can tell the time on the sundial) and walk along Sinnington Beck (the River Seven) on the west side.

Goathland is reachable by car or by the NYM Railway from Pickering. It is a good place to start a hike, varying from easy to more challenging.

Danby is a small village on the northern side (place of the wedding party) of the NYM National Park and is the location of the park visitor center https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/things-to-do/attractions/Danby-Lodge-National-Park-Centre.

Robin Hood’s Bay is the quintessential fishing village. It is in constant danger of falling into the North Sea. One must park at the top of the steep hill and walk down. Very nice for a walk along the beach at low tide and a pub lunch. It is possible to find jet in the sand and fossils. Seals and bird life common.

The Park is the largest area of moorland in Britain and is famous for grouse hunting. The upland part consists of wild moorland, which is kept healthy by controlled burns, and in August is a glorious sight of purple heather. The landscape was shaped in the last ice age, where glaciers moved in a north to south direction, carving U-shaped valleys which now are used for farming.

There are occasional sections of Roman roads and encampments in the area, and the Park extends to the coast. As with all UK National Parks, the parks are inhabited as the settlements were there long before the parks were formed, but conservation helps preserve the natural beauty of the area. There is a wealth of things to see and do in the moors, including hiking, biking and horse riding.

IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO

https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/things-to-do

A few favorite walks are:

Helmsley Castle to Rievaulx Abbey - 6 miles roundtrip. Moderate. All round great hike.

A glorious countryside walk with historic Rievaulx Abbey ruins – a Cistercian Monastery – as the destination. Tearooms near the ruins.

Ravenscar to Robin Hood’s Bay (or in the other direction)– 7.4 miles roundtrip. Varies from easy to strenuous along the route. All round great hike.

This hike is part of the Cleveland Way and is an excellent hike with loads of interest. Two words of warning though. First, consult the tide tables and time your hike so that you can follow the beach to Robin Hood’s Bay at or close to low tide, and return by the cliff top path, or vice versa – you will be trapped by the incoming tide if you don’t. Second, don’t do this hike if it has been particularly rainy – the cliff path will be impossibly muddy. Park at the Raven Hall Hotel and either take the marked cliff path or the way down to the beach/rock shelves. The cliff path is intersected a couple of times where there are steep steps up and down. Follow the cliff path or the beach to Robin Hood’s Bay for lunch and walk back on the part of the route you didn’t follow to get there.

Bridestones/Bridestones Moor – 3 miles roundtrip. Easy to Moderate.

Starting low Staindale carpark in Dalby Forest, this hike goes up through woodland to Bridestones Moor and the Bridestones, some bizarre-shaped rocks formed in the ice age, and loops back down to the parking lot. Very nice morning or afternoon short hike.

Sinnington to Appleton-le-Moors – 5.5 miles roundtrip. Moderate.

Park near the old village school on the green, and walk up the road toward the church, but do not take a right up the hill to the church. Continue straight on (north) and follow the path through the woods. There are some options to take but they all bring you out at the same place. Follow the footpath signs. You will pass through forest and meadows and past a small white house. Turn right when you reach a lane and walk across the field, crossing a footbridge across the river at Appleton Mill farm. Avoiding the farmyard, walk right, up the lane and turn left along a public footpath where the trees start again (or alternatively stay on the road and you will arrive at the north end of Appleton). If on the footpath, follow the signs and they will eventually lead you upward to the south end of Appleton. Walk up the street to the Moors pub for lunch or drink between 12 pm and 2 pm. To walk back to Sinnington, you can take an alternate route by walking to the sharp corner at the south end of the street (there is only one street) and follow the footpath. You will eventually meet up with the river again and arrive in Sinnington. Cross the bridge back to your car.

Hole of Horcum to Levisham – 7 miles roundtrip (includes side trip for lunch) - Moderate

After driving about 10 minutes north of Pickering you will arrive at the moors and notice a large depression of land to the west. This is the Hole of Horcum (which involves a legend of a giant). Saltersgate carpark requires payment and is on the right just before a hill that goes down to Fylingdales Moor (notice an odd-shaped building in the distance – this is a missile early warning station). Walk either to the bottom of the Hole and up the other side and take the path south toward Levisham where there is a convenient pub as usual or walk around the north and west sides of the rim and arrive at the same place. Walk back on either path. Easy if you do the whole thing on the rim path.

Cleveland Way

This is a 109 mile hike (if you are very ambitious!) that follows the edges of the NYM National Park. Included here because you can easily hike small sections. The following link has trails listed as accessible, easy, moderate and strenuous. https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/cleveland-way/circular-linear-walks-2/

Things to watch out for: bad weather – if it is very foggy, it is surprisingly easy to get disoriented on the moors. Snakes – the only venomous snake is the adder, and they are not often seen. Not as big or dangerous as a rattler but will bite and don’t rattle. Live on moorland.

This is not a castle, but a large stately Palladian estate near Malton, north of Pickering. It is open to the public and has beautiful grounds you can walk through. It has been featured in numerous movies.

Near Malton, a smaller family-owned and lived-in stately home with a lovely walled garden and Capability Brown landscaping.

On the Yorkshire Wolds, south and east of Pickering, Sledmere is a gorgeous example of Georgian architecture and landscaping.

Just delightful, low ceilings in the bar and snug, good food, reasonable prices.

Fish and chips in a sit-down or takeout setting. Medium is very large, just so you know. It’s really good.

Some Bradford lads started this restaurant and it does not disappoint. Dine in or takeout.

(just east of town). Owned by a schoolmate of Jane’s. Farm to table and grows their own beef and vegetables. Open for lunches. Very popular and excellent quality. Essential to book for Sunday lunch. Reasonably priced. Also have outside patio, a pizza cart, and a farm shop for gourmet foods.

East of Pickering on the A170. Another great place for Sunday lunch. Very generous portions and reasonably priced.

Michelin Star, thatched roof pub and restaurant. Pricey, excellent, smaller portions.

Yes, really. It is minute and charming. Just west of Pickering on the A170. Serves Lunch and Afternoon Teas (the real reason to go there) and they are excellent. Not on the tourist map so enjoy this inside information. Reasonably priced.