Hidden Corners of Yorkshire

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart from your home area in the morning travelling to the Blackwell Grange Hotel. Enjoy a 5 nights stay dinner, bed and breakfast. Tea/coffee and biscuits served on arrival.

Day 2: We travel over the moors, across Blakey Ridge, through picturesque Hutton-le-Hole to Pickering. Here we join the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for a steam train journey through rugged moorland to Whitby, passing through Goathland (featured as ‘Aidensfield’ in TV’s Heartbeat). Whitby is a maritime town, bursting with character and quite unique. Wander the alleyways and narrow streets and climb the steps up to Whitby Abbey.

Day 3: We begin with a drive to historic Richmond, on the River Swale. Here you will find a castle, The Green Howards Museum and the Richmondshire Museum housing the set from ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. Leaving Richmond, we head for the Wensleydale Railway for a nostalgic ride through rural scenery from Leyburn to Leeming Bar. We rejoin the coach and head to Thirsk, home of James Herriot. Enjoy free time to explore the town before returning to the hotel for the evening.

Day 4: Our first visit today is to Preston Park and Hall Museum. Set in attractive parkland, the museum houses a collection of memorabilia from times gone by. Take a walk back in time through the cobbled Victorian street and imagine life as it was in times past. At Preston Hall, we join the ‘Teesside Princess’ and take a gentle cruise on the River Tees through the countryside to the cobbled town of Yarm, famous for its location within a horseshoe bend on the river and the awe-inspiring railway viaduct. In the afternoon, we drive through Bilsdale, known as ‘Little Switzerland’, past the Sun Inn, which has had the same landlord for 200 years! We then pass Rievaulx Abbey and drop into Helmsley with its 12th-century castle. On our way back to the hotel we journey over the spectacular Sutton Bank, giving you fantastic views of the moors and the Vale of York.

Day 5: After a leisurely breakfast, we make the journey to Bishop Auckland and Auckland Castle. This proud home of the Bishops of Durham stands as one of the best-preserved Bishop’s Palaces in Europe. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the castle with staterooms designed to tell the history and story of the bishops that lived here. This afternoon we have included an all-access ticket to the other attractions in the town centre managed by The Auckland Project. This includes a Mining Art Gallery, Spanish Art Gallery, Faith Museum and the Auckland Tower where you can enjoy 360-degree views of the castle, Bishop Auckland and the surrounding rural area. The choice is yours and you are free to explore at leisure.

Day 6: After breakfast, we leave and begin our journey home.