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 the light at the end of the tunnel
Standedge Tunnel, in the heart of the Pennine countryside, is the longest canal tunnel in Britain.
Location: Marsden, 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
July events: Holmfirth Art Week
Over 400 artists combine art, music, comedy, theatre and literature for the UK's largest open art exhibition.
Location: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
Explore an ecological paradise at Marsden Moor
Walk, cycle or climb your way across this rugged wild landscape steeped in history that has inspired people since prehistoric times.
Location: Marsden, West 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
Make yourself at home at Harewood House
This 18th century home is filled with fine art and surrounded by gardens and parkland that is home to many animals including flamingos and penguins.
Location: Harewood, West Yorkshire
Wild Swimming in Grassington
Grassington is an idyllic little Dales market town with a cobbled square, quirky shops and cosy pubs.
Location: Grassignton, 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
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
Enjoy being pampered in your own moorland lodge retreat
Indulge in a full range of spa treatments in the comfort of your own luxury Scandinavian lodge before setting off to explore the English countryside.
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Enjoy an afternoon tea in the house the Brontës loved
Enjoy a luxurious afternoon tea at the historic house the Brontës knew and loved, then take a tour of the real-life setting for Wuthering Heights.
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Cookery and butchery courses at Coddy's Farm
Boost your culinary skills with seasonal cookery and butchery courses at Coddy's Farm, in Holmfirth. Great accommodation, great views, great food.
Location: Holmfirth, Yorkshire
On location with the world’s most popular heritage railway
Ride along with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as it takes a starring role, from Dad’s Army to Harry Potter.
Location: Goathland, North Yorkshire
Climb aboard a classic steam railway at Bolton Abbey
Puffing through the Yorkshire Dales is the Embsay & Bolton Abbey steam railway where special events take place throughout the year.
Location: Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales
Discover a different Yorkshire on the river
Discover a new world with Shire Cruisers - steering a beautifully fitted narrow boat with everything you need, past ever-changing Pennine scenery.
Location: Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire
