Our final day in the moors was reserved to visit Goathland, otherwise known as Aidensfield (Heartbeat’s location) or Hogwarts Station (the train station was used in the Harry Potter films).
We would have loved to have arrived in the village on the steam train (North York Moors Railway), but the cost was prohibitive unfortunately. Even just to travel 1 stop between Grosmont and Goathland would have cost us £26 return…. There were plenty of trains running though so obviously plenty of people paying for this. Apparently it wasn’t always this expensive – it appears that the Harry Potter effect has caused the increase in prices.
We saw the steam train for the 1st time at Grosmont – perfect timing actually as we were at the front of the queue when the level crossing gates closed! We do love to see the trains in operation so this was an absolute treat.
Next it was a race to get to Goathland before the train! We managed it – just.. Parking by the road and running up to the bridge, which is where I took the main picture from 🙂 Another train was coming the other way so we saw both in the station. Heading back to the car we spotted a waterfall which we tried to get a bit closer. I had to give up as I picked a wrong spot to place my foot and nearly sank!
Steam trains at Goathland
Getting ready to leave the station #1
Getting ready to leave Goathland #2
Waterfall by Goathland station
We then carried on in the car towards the village itself, starting with the train station which I had a quick look at – unfortunately it didn’t really mean much to me as I haven’t watched any Harry Potter film all the way through (I’ve maybe seen 15-20 minutes in total)…. See photos below 🙂 Continue reading “Goathland – aka Aidensfield or Hogwarts…”
When we first arrived in the North York Moors we drove past Roseberry Topping a few times on our way out for the day. Each time we both said we’ll go up that while we’re here 🙂
On our 1st day back we had taken a wrong turning and found somewhere to park for free from where we could walk up the peak; Gribdale Gate. From here we could also go in the opposite direction to visit Captain Cook’s monument. This was perfect as the car park sited on the main road has a cost attached – although I think the path is more straightforward and definitely looked easier in hindsight!
We thought that we were being clever but from our direction we actually had to cope with 3 ascents and descents. There are ‘steps’ provided in places but these are not particularly easy to negotiate – we were in awe of the young couple who were walking this in the pouring rain with their young baby on the dad’s back 🙂
So, yes, we had a rainstorm on the way up, but by the time we got to the top the sun was back out – very changeable.
The last bit up to the summit was particularly taxing for me, so I thought I’d have a little sit down – until I spotted the lizard that I was about to sit on! (I thought it was a snake at first..) I carried on 🙂
We did a lot of walking in the North York Moors – even when we were ‘going’ somewhere! So this post will deal with 1 of the days that we were, sort of at least, heading somewhere and I will do a separate post for the days we actually set out just to walk (to the top of Roseberry Topping and to see Captain Cook’s Monument to be precise).
On day 2 in the Moors we headed to the nearest decent sized town, Stokesley, which turned out to be extremely pleasant. The parking system was disc parking and, not having a disc, we drove through and parked as soon as we could, giving us a short walk back into town. There are an awful lot of old buildings in Stokesley and the centre has a really nice feel about it, with lots of independent shops and several butchers, bakers and greengrocers.
We also found a dedicated running shop here (I needed a new water bottle). The 1st bottle they showed me was £35 – I politely explained I wasn’t actually THAT much of a runner! I did get what I wanted though, and then realised that I recognised the couple from my previous morning’s ‘run’ – I had stopped to wait for them to pass me with their 4 dogs as I was embarrassed by my shambling and didn’t want them to observe it! These 2 are proper runners – he went up the hill like it was a Sunday afternoon stroll, whereas I had to bully myself up this hill (all 20m or so of it…). The shop is called Let’s Run, and they are very involved in coaching and getting beginners out with groups.
Packhorse Bridge in Stokesley
Looking toward the Packhorse Bridge in Stokesley
From here we headed towards Middlesborough as we both wanted to see the Transporter Bridge that crosses the Tees there.
We found it, and we went across the river on it (£1.30!), a very quick crossing after which we found ourselves in an area called Port Clarence, which used to be very busy, but which is now less so.
We had a quick drive around Middlesborough and were impressed by the evidence of past grandeur, and also the clear evidence of ongoing regeneration.
Making our way back the, slightly long way, we saw another bridge that appears to lift. I have since discovered this to be the Newport Vertical Lift Bridge which is no longer in use, so no chance of seeing it in action unfortunately 😦
We arrived back in the North York Moors fresh from falling in love with the Yorkshire Dales. We found ourselves in a place called Great Ayton which turned out to have strong links to Captain James Cook, celebrated 18th century explorer, owing to the fact that he went to school here and lived nearby.
Our campsite was a working farm at the end of a lane, as so many of the best ones have been on this trip! We spent the 1st afternoon settling in and the 2nd day was set aside to visit the coast.
After Guisborough we headed down one of the roads across the moors before heading across to Runswick Bay, which is just north of Whitby. We headed down the, really very steep, road to the bay itself looking for parking that didn’t involved having to climb back up this road! Massive fail… That’s not to say there wasn’t parking; there was; however we weren’t happy with the cost of £2 per hour (parking could easily be our biggest cost on this trip), so we went back up to the top (I wasn’t entirely sure that the little white car would make it!) and parked for free.
Steps have been provided on the hill to make the walk up easier. They were very shallow though which was a little awkward walking down, although still easier than walking down the slope!) On the way back up though they were an absolute godsend!
The main photo shows the view of the bay from about halfway down. There is a lovely sandy beach, a pub, a café, walks and many places to stay 🙂 You will find a charming cluster of houses on the edge of this steep hillside. The village was originally sited a little further north, but had to be rebuilt in it’s current location due to a rock fall. Erosion is still an issue but these days there are more sea defences.
On our last day in the Dales we decided to go to Richmond, but on the way we stopped off in Leyburn to do some washing.
Whilst waiting for this to finish we first of all did a bit of shopping in a local supermarket, Campbells (actually a CostCutter but also a family run grocery store), and then a quick wander down to ‘The Shawl’ (I was intrigued by the name 🙂 )
We got some wonderful meat in the grocery store (which made us both a wonderful beef stew and a somerset pork casserole).
We found the initial part of the shawl to be playing fields leading up to limestone terrace that extends for almost 2 miles (but we didn’t have time to find this bit). Romantics like to think it’s called The Shawl as Mary Queen of Scots dropped her shawl in the area whilst escaping from her imprisonment at Bolton Castle. This may well not be true! But the views are amazing 🙂
We moved onto Richmond, where we drove around for a while trying to find a parking space – eventually parking halfway down the hill towards the old station. Before heading to the castle we had a drink overlooking the market place, followed by a quick mooch around a little market in the old Victorian market hall.
Then onto the castle that dominates the town. It’s not huge but is a pleasant enough way to pass an hour or so. The views from the top of the keep are wonderful : Continue reading “Richmond & Leyburn”
What I’m writing about now actually happened more than a fortnight ago (meaning I am really behind here – I do have good reasons though!)
We actually stayed in the Dales for a week, and as well as all the waterfalls that I’ve already written about (click here if you’ve not read it yet), we enjoyed simply driving along the country roads (and along some of the high passes), visiting a couple of the towns and villages and discovering Fountains Abbey and Castle Bolton.
Driving down the road from the campsite we came across an escarpment at Cray that a number of people were climbing. So we stopped and went up to have a closer look 🙂
Climbers at Cray
Ready to climb at Cray
From here we continued along the road until we came to Grassington – make no mistake through several pretty villages before getting here; this was just where we decided to stop 🙂
Grassington is actually a town, albeit a small town with a population at the last census of 1,126. It’s very pretty with a history of lead mining, a country park, a folk museum and several gift shops and eateries. Well worth a visit; we enjoyed wandering around for a short while 🙂
Grassington
Grassington
We were actually aiming for Ripon when we set out in the morning, and once we’d left Grassington we aimed once again for this town. On the way we saw signs for How Stean Gorge which I had read about in the Rough Guide, and I thought it looked like it could be really good to visit. It took a while to get there, but we couldn’t see much. Unless we paid £7 each… Now it might well have been worth this money, but it’s only about 1000m long, and the weather wasn’t brilliant, so we decided against it.
There is however an awful lot on offer including canyoning, gorge walking, canoeing and the via ferrata (a high wire adventure), so I really think it’s worth a visit for the more adventurous among us (okay among you…!) Check out their website here if you’re interested in that sort of thing.
Back on the road again to Ripon we next came across Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden. Now I did, of course, know that this was here, but I wasn’t going to suggest stopping. But then we saw the magic words ‘World Heritage Site’, so decided to have a look after all. Being members of the National Trust we had nothing to lose – if we weren’t impressed we could just leave 🙂
We weren’t disappointed even though we didn’t actually manage to visit the church in the grounds (where Freddie Truman is apparently buried – according to my dad anyway 🙂 ) (I have just checked and Wikipedia says he’s buried in Bolton Abbey; but then again Wikipedia has been known to get it wrong…!), or the Studley Royal Gardens (which are actually the World Heritage Site). But we did see the hall (much of it now holiday & staff accommodation) and the remains of the abbey itself. These are really impressive being very extensive. You can clearly see the seats where the monks sat in the choir, visit an upstairs room (still completely intact) and a massive hall that still has it’s ceiling and arches.
There is quite a steep climb back up from the ruins – so much so that the tall church tower looks a little like a gatehouse as you’re walking towards it!
We fully intended to go back with our bikes to visit the water gardens and the deer park, but sadly never actually made it (as is so often the case).
Fountains Abbey
The church at Fountains Abbey
Time was no getting on so we just drove through Ripon and headed back to the van via a Co-op in Masham (there is a distinct lack of shops in the Dales themselves!)
This we found out to our cost later that evening. We had forgotten a vital item when in the shop, but decided to wait until after our tea to go back out. Big mistake! We headed back out at 7.35pm. The garage in Aysgarth had closed at 7pm, so we decided to head for Hawes, 8 miles away, as that’s a fairly decent size – no, all that was open were pubs. And a Chinese takeaway. So then we had to come back and head for Leyburn, 8 miles in the other direction, all the way looking for shops, garages etc. There were a couple of village shops and garages, but everything was shut, except for the pubs!
Finally in Leyburn – a decent sized town, we found a choice of 2 shops. So because we forgot something we drove about 36 miles and were out for over an hour. And we complain at home because our nearest shop is a mile away!!
We headed back to Hawes another day, although we didn’t stop (this was the day that we visited Hardraw Force). We then took the Buttertubs Pass, an amazing road with wonderful views over the dales. So called because apparently farmers would leave unsold butter in the deep natural potholes along the side of the road when they left market.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
We drove a 2nd pass – no name given – and at the bottom we spotted a mole running along the side of the road! Just amazing 🙂
At the top of the pass we found Muker, a busy little village with a couple of tea rooms and a pub. We were confused as to why it was quite so busy until I realised that it was on the route of a long distance walking path.
Church at Muker
Muker
We continued along the ‘back road’ to Aysgarth until we got to Castle Bolton. This is where the reception for the wedding I mentioned previously was held. It was very cold that time! This time not so much.
There was a medieval music festival being held there this weekend and we were able to access the ground floor as well as the café on the 1st floor free of charge. There was quite a lot to see!
Castle Bolton
So another couple of lovely days in the Dales were concluded. Just 1 more post on this, dealing with a visit to Richmond and Leyburn 🙂
Keep travelling!
Other posts from our time in the Yorkshire Dales:-
In between our 2 visits to York we had already decided to go to Harrogate. Harrogate is an elegant spa town about 20 miles west of York, and it has a rich history as such.
We parked a little way before the town centre, paid our £2.80 for 2 hours, and walked in, keeping an eye on the time as we went. There are numerous beautiful buildings and grand streets and hotels. These were built for the hordes of wealthy Victorians, although it has been a spa town for much longer than that.
You can visit the Pump House museum for just a few pounds each, and it’s a very interesting visit, dealing with the growth of the town as a popular spa. There are almost 100 thermal springs in the area, each of them providing different health benefits.
After our short sojourn near Sheffield we headed to York, where we met up again with Steve and Denise (who we 1st met in Spain).
We found a campsite that was close to both the cycle path into York centre (and part of The Way of The Roses), and also 1 of the 5 park and rides that serves the city.
We actually ate out on our 1st night at The Dawnay Arms just down the road (where we enjoyed a 10% discount courtesy of staying at this particular campsite, Grantchester). And very nice it was too 🙂
On Saturday we headed into York centre and decided to walk to the Park and Ride, Rawcliffe Bar (there are 4 others), about 2 miles along the cycle path. We realised that it was actually quicker to walk along the main road so did that on the way home later. The cost of the bus was £2.80 return each – so a nice cheap way to get into town (and good for my steps too!)
I have been to York once before about 10 years ago, and I remembered seeing a sign across 1 of the streets (it turned out to be Stonegate) for Ye Olde Starre Inne, which is where we ended up stopping for a little lunch. (I had wanted to go to Betty’s but there were queues at both of their cafes – they’re very popular!) After lunch we went our separate ways; Calv and I headed towards the castle area where we visited Clifford’s Tower, all that is left of the original castle perched high up on a mound (the main picture is a view from the top).
We headed off on our travels again following the August Bank Holiday. We’re beginning to make our way to Northumberland via York, the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. But first we had to go to Sheffield as Calv was able to book a medical here to renew his entitlement to drive HGVs (no appointments until mid-September at home…)
So it was that we found ourselves at a Camping and Caravan Clubsite in Teversal. We don’t usually use club sites as they’re too expensive but they are generally fantastic (as was this one!) We intended to just stay the 2 nights, but ended up extending this by an extra night so that we could visit Bolsover Castle.
I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised by how lovely this area is. The site we were on is directly opposite access to Silverhill Trails, 1 of many off-road trails that link up throughout the area. On the site of an old pit you can see chimneys used to allow gases to escape from underground (we guess), plus here there is a rather wonderful sculpture at the top of the hill (not to mention the views).
Silverhill
View from the top of Silverhill
Having seen to the business of Calv’s medical, and also spotting the trams in Sheffield – many disconcertingly running down the middle of the road – we headed back to the van to finish the paperwork. Followed by a quick trip into the nearest town of Huthwaite to post the form, and then onto Sutton in Ashfield to do a spot of shopping.
Our extra day was spent visiting Bolsover Castle and Stainsby Mill (part of the Hardwick Estate which was, literally, on our doorstep 🙂 ). We didn’t visit Chesterfield, but did see the famous twisted spire (caused by lead being laid on top of unseasoned timbers – apparently), as we drove past.
Anyway, I digress. We found the castle at Bolsover but there is a small car park right next to a Weatherspoons pub, which was full to the hilt. So we drove left and left again to bring us up behind the castle and found plenty of free parking on the main road.
We were really impressed with Bolsover Castle; (English Heritage) there are 3 separate, and quite distinct, areas within the complex – the stables, the terrace range and the little castle. All very impressive in their own way. In particular the ‘little castle’ which is complete (as we’re fond of saying – ‘you could move in tomorrow!’) Take a look at the photos below 🙂 Continue reading “Bolsover and it’s Castle”
There is water everywhere in the Dales. Tumbling over rocks in rivers and streams that run alongside the road, flowing serenely into Tarns, ready to be enjoyed in reservoirs and thundering down falls or over escarpments.
However you experience it it’s awesome beauty cannot be ignored 🙂
We have made it our business to visit 3 areas of falls; Aysgarth, Hardraw Force and the Cauldron Falls at West Burton (not even mentioned in guidebooks!) I think we actually enjoyed the Cauldron Falls most as we were able to explore them more fully – we were almost able to walk behind them 🙂
turnrightoutofportsmouth 