Around York

York is an excellent jumping off spot for other towns - Harrogate, Scarborough, Easingwold, Thirsk, Whitby and so on.The Howardian Hills, North York Moors and the Dales are also easily accesssible by car. 'Hearbeat' country draws many visitors from Britain, Europe and as far afield as Australia while fans of 'All Creatures Great and Small' head for the James Herriot Museum in Thirsk. Whitby calls those who are interested in Captian Cook and Dracula: Grosmont Station is of interest to Harry Potter enthusiasts. Train buffs make the trip to Pickering, at weekends in winter and daily in summer, to ride on the steam train over the moors.

One of the most popular places to visit is Castle Howard. Brideshead Revisited was filmed here.

Supplied by www.visityork.org

Across the Howardian Hills and on the moors lie chocolate-box-pretty villages which attract numerous hikers and lazier drivers - like Steve and Margaret in fact - in summer.

Terrington with these pretty stone houses is typical of many villages north of York.

In autumn the virginia creeper on many houses turns brilliant red. This country hotel in Hutton-le-Hole is covered in crimson leaves every year.

The Star Inn at Harome, a village near Helmsley, pictured here in winter, is famous throughout the region for its cuisine.

Though nowhere in England is very high, the impression of altitude is given by the wildness of the moors, where the heather blooms glorious purple in August. In the picture below you can see across valley farmlands to the sea from the moorland tops where we like to picnic and then sit and read, gazing now and again at the view.

If you are lucky you may happen upon a local custom. Serendipity drew us to the 'Gooseberry Fair' where competitors all hoped to win prizes for the biggest and best gooseberries. Disgracefully and astonishingly women were not allowed to be members of Gooseberry Clubs till 1975!

Margaret wishes the gooseberries she buys for jam were as big as these. She could do the preparation in a quarter the time if they were!

Across the region there are castles and ruined monasteries for you to visit too, some famous in English history. Though the building, whose ruins now stand on the headland at Whitby, was built after the Norman Conquest, the orginal abbey hosted the Synod of Whitby where in the seventh century Abbess Hild welcomed guests who argued about the dating of Easter and whether Britain should follow the Celtic church or Rome. St Wilfrid won for Rome.

When we can we will take more photos and add to this collection.

One of the most popular places to visit is Castle Howard. Brideshead Revisited was filmed here.
Supplied by www.visityork.org
Across the Howardian Hills and on the moors lie chocolate-box-pretty villages which attract numerous hikers and lazier drivers - like Steve and Margaret in fact - in summer.
		Terrington with these pretty stone houses is typical of many villages north of York.
In autumn the virginia creeper on many houses turns brilliant red. This country hotel in Hutton-le-Hole is covered in crimson leaves every year.
		The Star Inn at Harome, a village near Helmsley, pictured here in winter, is famous throughout the region for its cuisine.
Though nowhere in England is very high, the impression of altitude is given by the wildness of the moors, where the heather blooms glorious purple in August. In the picture below you can see across valley farmlands to the sea from the moorland tops where we like to picnic and then sit and read, gazing now and again at the view.

If you are lucky you may happen upon a local custom. Serendipity drew us to the 'Gooseberry Fair' where competitors all hoped to win prizes for the biggest and best gooseberries. Disgracefully and astonishingly women were not allowed to be members of Gooseberry Clubs till 1975!
		Margaret wishes the gooseberries she buys for jam were as big as these. She could do the preparation in a quarter the time if they were!
Across the region there are castles and ruined monasteries for you to visit too, some famous in English history. Though the building, whose ruins now stand on the headland at Whitby, was built after the Norman Conquest, the orginal abbey hosted the Synod of Whitby where in the seventh century Abbess Hild welcomed guests who argued about the dating of Easter and whether Britain should follow the Celtic church or Rome. St Wilfrid won for Rome. When we can we will take more photos and add to this collection.