The North York Moors (heather and ancient trees)
The North York Moors are wild and open, stretching from Thirsk and Helmsley to the Yorkshire coast at Whitby. Some valleys are dense with pine forest, while late summer bring purple heather that rolls over high moorland. This historic natural haven is a haven for walkers.
If out walking, always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe. If at the coast, read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Covering 44,000 hectares, the North York Moors features on of England’s largest expanses of heather moorland, plus is home to many ground-nesting birds like golden plovers and merlins. It also has one of northern England’s largest concentrations of ancient trees.
Not just inland, this National Park stretches to the Jurassic cliffs of the Yorkshire coast, with ancient villages like Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay (where you paddle your toes, at then of Wainwright’s Coast-to-Coast Walk, which begins in St Bees in Cumbria.
Hikers can follow the horseshoe-shaped Cleveland Way, which winds around the park for 109 miles. You can also take in plenty of star-gazing, as the Moors are a designated International Dark Sky Reserve.
