North Yorkshire, specifically the Yorkshire Moors and York, have long been on my bucket list. I vowed to spend more time exploring the U.K. after the pandemic, making time to explore Pembrokeshire and Cornwall but I had my sights set North. Having actually been born in Yorkshire (Doncaster) and growing up in the South West, it was past time to pay a visit.
We opted to stay in Whitby as our base which would give us good access to Goathland and other easy-to-reach areas in Yorkshire during our weekend. We visited off-season in February 2022, Friday to Sunday staying in this sea-view AirB&B. We paid £311 total, so £155.50 each when split between the two of us, and it offered free parking.
The view from our accommodation
Friday, Yorkshire Day One
York
We left Gloucester bright and early to make a pit stop in York on our journey to Whitby. We arrived late morning and parked at a multistorey car park, making a beeline for The Shambles.
The Shambles
Thought to be one of the world’s most famous streets, The Shambles dates as far as the 13th Century located in England’s oldest city – York. The street is believed to have been the inspiration behind Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. We bumbled around a couple of the Harry Potter shops before joining the queue to the famed Ghost Merchants.
York Ghost Merchants
No visit to York is complete without stopping at the York Ghost Merchants! York has a reputation for being the most haunted city in Europe, making ghosts and ghost story-telling a pinnacle part of York’s charm. Each York Ghost is handmade in the workshop above the shop on an extraordinary street, each ghost is unique “with a spirit all its own”.
It’s a very small shop so space is limited which often means there’s a short queue that admits entry when others leave. While waiting in the queue we enjoyed a bao and picked up some pies and mini cheesecakes for the accommodation at the stores next to us.
Goathland
After a cup of tea and breakfast in the accommodation, Yorkshire Tea of course, we drove to Goathland Car Park which was £3.50 all-day ready for the short hike. With a population of just under 500, Goathland is most famous for being the village setting for Heartbeat, and as Hogsmeade Station in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone film.
The 3-mile route from Goathland Village is an easy hike that takes you to Mallyan Spout, along the waters of West Beck, and back up the trackbed of the original Whitby-to-Pickering railway line. We loosely followed these walking instructions but it’s quite easy to know where to go once you’re on your way.
We took some pork pies to have as a little snack along the moors and stopped for a teacake and a cup of tea to warm up. If you’re a Heartbeat fan, you’ll also recognise Goathland as the fictional Aidensfield with some village shops to bimble around in.
Goathland Station
Whitby
We headed back to Whitby in the afternoon, to kick off some of the popular hot spots.
199 Steps
Whitby’s 199 steps pave the way from the town center to the East Clifftops where you’ll find St Mary’s Church, the Abbey, and great views of Whitby from the clifftop.
Whitby 199 Steps
Whitby Abbey
Did you know Dracula author Bram Stoker took inspiration from Whitby for his novel? Looking at Whitby Abbey, it’s easy to see why with its gothic ruins and stunning sea views. Whitby Abbey is an English Heritage site, but we arrived too late and it was no longer open so we admired it from a distance.
We headed back down to bimble around the shops and dine in one of the local restaurants before heading back to the accommodation. Since Whitby is a seaside town, we did take a little detour into the amusements but sadly walked away empty handed.
Sunday, Yorkshire Day Three
On our final day in Yorkshire, we decided to Walk the Cleveland Way that’s a 6.5-mile hike from Whitby to Robinhood Bay along the clifftop. The route begins near the abbey and it’s pretty simple to follow. Unfortunately, we got caught in a treacherous hail storm and arrived in Robinhood Bay cold, tired, and wet. There’s a local bus to transport you back to Whitby, but we were so tired we just called a taxi.
Since we’d checked out of our accommodation, we changed clothes in the car we had ready in advance and treated ourselves to a roast dinner in Whitby before we made the journey home.
