Things to Do/Places to Visit in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire's favourite son, James Herriot, hails from the picturesque market town of Thirsk, which now boasts a visitor centre in his honour situated at Skeldale House, 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk.  Visit the rooms featured in the stories of his work and life and see the car used in the TV show along with the equipment of the day.   For the adventurous the theme parks at Flamingo Land, near Malton, and Lightwater Valley at Ripon (home of the longest rollercoaster in Europe - The Ultimate) provide excitement and fun for all the family.

Railway fans can enjoy the Steam age on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which will take you from Pickering to Grosmont.  Also the Settle to Carlisle railway, a great feat of engineering built by the Irish navvies in the 19thC.  You can enjoy stunning scenery and cross the famous Ribblehead viaduct.

You can enjoy the scenery of 'Heartbeat' country and call in at Goathland, the village of Aidensfield in the show.

York has a wealth of museums, galleries, walks and tours to offer, including an evening walk looking for ghosts!  The Minster is a good starting point as are the City walls, which take about 2 hours to walk round.  The award winning National Railway Museum is also in York, and has something for all the family and will provide hours of interest (free entry).  The Yorvik Viking Museum and the Castle Museum are very interesting, and give a good insight in to the life of York from days gone by.  
18 miles from York you will find the market town of Malton and Eden Camp which is an award winning visitor attraction recreating the War Years and is the only modern history themed museum of its type in the world.  You will experience the sights and sounds, and even smells of the times.

The Wensleydale market town of Hawes is home to the creamery where the famous Wensleydale cheese is made, the Dales Countryside museum offers a fascinating insight into the lives of the Dales people through the ages.  It can be equally fascinating at W R Outhwaite & Sons the Ropemaker next door, where you can see the ropes being made in a traditional way.

The RHS Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate are open all year round and cater for all tastes and ages.  All kinds of plant life can be seen here and its 58 acres make it a relaxing yet stimulating day out.  Here you will also find the national rhubarb collection.  Nearby the market town of Knaresborough was the home of Mother Shipton, England's most famous Prophetess some 500 years ago, and you can visit the cave and petrifying well where everyday objects after a time will turn to stone.

If you just want to relax, you can absorb the 200 acre area of The Stray and the colourful parks and gardens of Harrogate, or even be very pampered at the Turkish Baths.  Enjoy afternoon tea at the world famous Betty's in Harrogate or York.  Retail therapy and abundant cafes and bars make for a pleasant day out here after which, of course, you can retire to your farmhouse accommodation to plan your next day out.   North Yorkshire offers plenty to do for all the family so take a look at the accommodation on offer below to select your ideal Farm Stay holiday or short break.