Welcome to Pam & Pete's guide to the Top 10 things to do around York. This guide was written to help visitors to Hollybrook Lodges but will hopefully be useful to anyone staying in the York area. Enjoy!

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1. York!  20 mins 

Use the ‘Park and Ride’ at Rawcliffe.

Walk the walls, visit the Shambles, the Viking Centre, the Minster, Railway Museum, Castle Museum and lots, lots more.

 

2. Harrogate 40 mins

Ample parking in town centre multi-storey car parks.

Go to Betty’s for a coffee and a fat rascal! Stroll the Montpellier Quarter with its antique shops and visit the Royal Pump Room Museum, documenting the importance of local mineral springs. Nearby is the restored, Moorish-style Turkish Baths & Health Spa. To the west, leafy Valley Gardens features the art deco Sun Pavilion. On the outskirts of Harrogate is RHS Harlow Carr (with another Betty’s Café!)

Just three miles from Harrogate is Ripley Castle, gardens, cafe and deer park. 

 

3. Ripon 30 mins

Park in the Long stay, behind Sainsbury’s.

Ripon may be a very small city, but it has a big personality! 

Ripon and its locality have many reasons to keep visitors interested and entertained including the superb Cathedral, three quirky museums, the Spa gardens, a traditional market (Thursdays) and a huge choice of fabulous restaurants!  You must go to the market place at 9pm to watch the ancient tradition of The Hornblower. Just 2 miles from Ripon is Studley Deer Park and the World Heritage site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

For children, Lightwater Valley Theme Park is 4 miles from Ripon.

 

4. Knaresborough 35 mins

Ample parking. Market on Wednesdays.

Walk along the waterside by the River Nidd and under the spectacular huge viaduct. Lots of delightful coffee shops along this lovely walk. Hire a rowing boat and get on the water.

Pay a visit to Mother Shipton’s Cave, England’s oldest visitor attraction, having been open since 1630. It was home to the famous prophetess and the petrifying well still stands as a unique, unspoilt remnant of the Royal Forest of Knaresborough.

 

5. The Howardian Hills

Yorkshire Lavender at Terrington 20 minutes

A North of England triple award-winning visitor attraction, lavender farm and gardens all set within the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Here you will find the Wibbly Wobbly Way, a gift shop, The Lynne Goodwill Memorial Garden, a Deer Park, Sculpture Park and probably the largest hillside Snakes and Ladders in Yorkshire - fun for all the family. And a tea room featuring many items flavoured with lavender!

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6. The East Coast (all places listed below) approx 1hr drive

Soooo many places to recommend on the coast! Our faves are Runswick and Staithes. Both really beautiful and relatively unspoilt.

Then there are also the larger seaside resorts of Saltburn, Marske, Redcar, Whitby, Scarborough, Filey and Robin Hood’s Bay – all fabulous for a day out.

 

7. Thirsk  15 minutes

As well as being a traditional Yorkshire market town, Thirsk was also the home of renowned vet, James Herriot. Boasting the spectacular backdrops of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, it's no wonder this much-loved author was so inspired living and working here. Visit the ‘World of James Herriot’ Museum. 

Just a few miles from Thirsk is the White Horse, at Sutton Bank. The classic walk from Sutton Bank National Park Visitor Centre takes you to the famous turf-cut hillside landmark, the White Horse of Kilburn. 

 

8. The North Yorkshire Moors (National Park) 20 minutes

Also known as ‘The Capital of Cake!’ with lots of lovely tea rooms/coffee shops.

Endless interesting beauty spots to visit and spectacular views,

including – Goathland (where Heartbeat was filmed), Grosmont (watch the steam train), Pickering (catch the steam train), the heather moorlands, Hovingham, Helmsley, the forests (e.g. Dalby Forest) and so much more! 

 

9. The Yorkshire Dales (National Park) 45 minutes

Don’t miss Malham Cove, the caves at Ingleborough, The Forbidden Corner at Middleham, Masham, Brymor Ice-cream, Hawes – visit the cheese factory, Aysgarth (water falls where Robin Hood, Kevin Costner version, was filmed), Wensleydale etc etc etc!

 

And last but not least (10) - Flamingo Land near Malton, just 35 minutes drive

Something for everybody, but especially the children!