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About York & North Yorkshire

York, once one of the great cities of the medieval world, lies in the heart of the region. Still enclosed by its ancient walls, the city is dominated by the soaring towers of York Minster, one of the finest Gothic Churches in Northern Europe. From narrow streets lively with quality cafes and specialist shops, to trips on its tree-lined river, York has a variety of interest for the visitor with a wide choice of historical sites, museums and entertainment; not least the National Railway Museum and Jorvik Viking Centre.

Close to York, the Middle Ages have left their legacy standing in stone - a wealth of ancient abbeys and castles. Seeking solitude in the wilderness, the monks gave glorious settings to their abbeys, amongst them Bolton, Kirkham, Rievaulx, Whitby and Fountains Abbey, a World Heritage site. For centuries, "he who held the north held the kingdom", a stark truth which speaks from castles such as Helmsley, Pickering and Scarborough. More peaceful ages poured their wealth into lavish stately homes, notably Sledmere House near Driffield, palatial Harewood House near Leeds and the opulent Baroque splendour of Castle Howard, near York, made famous by the television series "Brideshead Revisited".

Linking the region are traditional country towns. Bustling with local life they include Thirsk in "Herriot Country", Malton the gateway to Ryedale, and Helmsley and Pickering at the approaches to the splendid North Yorkshire Moors National Park. A wild expanse viewed by narrow moorland roads or by a nostalgic and romantic journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway. The journey from Pickering to Grosmont taking in the beautiful moorland village of Goathland, famous in recent years as a location for the very popular television series "Heartbeat."

Along the coastline are found glorious beaches, rocky coves, towering cliffs with major resorts such as Scarborough and Whitby or tiny and timeless villages like Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes. Captain Cook, one of England's greatest navigators, learned his trade locally and a fascinating Heritage Trail in Whitby traces his life.

North Yorkshire is proud of its past and a sense of history is never far away. Uncrowded roads make the area quick and easy to explore; a wonderful area where the villages and towns are part of the classic English scene and where the warmest of welcomes is always offered.