Countryside
Both genteel and wild, there’s nothing quite like the English countryside for rural escapes with its patchwork hills, dramatic dales, ancient woodlands and winding country roads. All well and good, but what is there to do in England’s countryside exactly? Quite a lot, actually. Admire the grand interiors of a stately home before catching a play in the surrounding gardens, travel back in time with visits to ancient stone circles and crumbling castles, or step into a chocolate box of quaint villages and market towns and live like a local, trying farmhouse cheeses, cream teas and real ales along the way.
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See England's finest view from Sutton Bank
Celebrated author and vet James Herriot gave the view from Sutton Bank the ultimate accolade – “England’s finest”. Find out if he was right…
Location: Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Keeping it in the family at Castle Howard
The Howard family has called Castle Howard home for 300 years but their house is your house as you explore one of Yorkshire’s finest historic estates.
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Celebrate Ryedale's heritage at the Folk Museum
Discover this hidden gem deep in the North York Moors National Park and uncover English antiques and curiosities.
Location: Hutton-le-Hole, North Yorkshire
Take on adventures aplenty in Dalby Forest
See some of Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside from a mountain bike, Segway, tree-top trail and by night, at one of the UK’s premier activity centres.
Location: Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire
Enjoy a magical ride across the English countryside
With your day ticket in hand, hop on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and discover some of the best villages in UK between Pickering and Whitby.
Location: Whitby, North Yorkshire
Explore the Forge Valley
A walk through 165 million years of history.
Location: Forge Valley, North Yorkshire
Explore some of England’s most dramatic caves
Head underground to gaze in wonder at the fascinating caves that form a major, but hidden, part of the Yorkshire Dales landscape.
Location: Ingleton, North Yorkshire
Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales
Aysgarth Falls are a dramatic set of waterfalls in Wensleydale.
Location: Aysgarth, North Yorkshire
Relive the past at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
Peel back 900 years of history at this UNESCO World Heritage Site of majestic monastic ruins, water gardens and medieval deer park.
Location: Near Ripon, North Yorkshire
Enjoy the ultimate free flying experience over North York Moors
If you’ve got a head for heights and the being ratcheted up to a thousand feet fills you with excitement, a gliding lesson might be just the ticket.
Location: Thirsk, North Yorkshire
The Tree Relaxation Retreat in Rosedale Abbey
Looking after your body doesn’t need to involve colonic irrigation and strenuous yoga workouts.
Location: Near Pickering, North Yorkshire
Explore the pretty village of Thornton Le Dale
When we tell you that this place is a chocolate box village, we’re really not joking.
Location: Thornton Le Dale, North Yorkshire
Travel in style on the Settle to Carlisle railway
Take an unforgettable ride on one of the world's great railway journeys, which takes in stunning country landscapes, 20 viaducts and 14 tunnels.
Location: Yorkshire Dales and Eden Valley, North Yorkshire
Go camping in the grounds of one of England’s finest stately homes
Take the kids camping on a child friendly holiday at Castle Howard near York, where a thousand breath-taking acres await for you to explore.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Luxury camping in idyllic North Yorkshire
Enjoy the great outdoors in style at this luxury campsite where life is particularly good.
Location: Buttercrambe Moor Wood, near Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire
Go wine tasting at Ryedale Vineyards
Sample wines from England’s most northerly vineyard.
Location: York, Yorkshire
Bathe in autumn colours close to the Falling Foss waterfall
If ever there was a magical woodland walk, it’s the two-mile circular trail through the trees from May Beck to the charming Falling Foss waterfall, all within Little Beck Wood Nature Reserve.
Location: North York Moors, near Whitby, North Yorkshire
Cycle along the old coastal railway line to Whitby
Ride 21 view-filled and traffic-free miles along the ‘Cinder Track’, the old coastal railway line between Scarborough and Whitby.
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire
Ride the Whitby train from moor to sea
Delightful villages, dramatic views and gentle country walks – do it all by train from Whitby on a ride through the delightful Esk Valley.
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire
Head to the legendary Lion Inn for a warm welcome
It’s the simple things that matter when you’re out winter walking – like a pint, a traditional Sunday roast, a roaring fire and stunning views.
Location: Blakey Ridge, North Yorkshire