Activities

Kirkbymoorside

Kirkbymoorside itself, while still a working place, retains a charming atmosphere of times gone by, with its partially cobbled main street, its many interesting buildings, and a lovely medieval church.

The Abbeys of Rievaulx, Byland as well as numerous medieval priories and churches to see
Stately homes and historical houses of Castle Howard, Duncombe Hall, Nunnington Hall and Shandy Hall
Market towns of Pickering and Helmsley
The North York Moors for scenery, walking and other outdoor activities
North Yorkshire Moors Railway for scenic rides from Pickering to Goathland (where 'Heartbeat' is filmed)
The coastal beaches of Scarborough and Whitby are only 35-40 minutes away
Ryedale Folk Museum
Eden Camp
Flamingo Land

Plenty of local activities including a superb golf course at Kirkbymoorside (preferential rate available) as well as other championship courses nearby.

These are too numerous to list in their entirety. Ask for leaflets and details when you arrive.

The Coast

The beautiful Yorkshire coast is made up of a wonderful mix of traditional seaside resorts, charming villages and stunning scenery, forged through conflict, exploration and a battle with the elements,

Miles of golden sandy beaches at Scarborough and Filey are the perfect place to introduce children to the finer points of sandcastle building or maybe take them on an adventure along Dinosaur Coast where footprints and fossils from the Jurassic Age lie in wait.

Filey is an unspoilt haven and has the elegant Crescent & Promenade which display the grandeur of the Victorians & Edwardians whose influence still is evident. Filey is a traditional English seaside resort with a friendly atmosphere, offering restful 'get away from it all' holidays. A fishing town on the North East coast of England , Filey has enjoyed a reputation of being a seaside resort since Victorian days. If you want an active holiday, take the beautiful views of Filey Bay with Filey Brigg to the north and Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head further down the coast or just to quietly relax in peaceful the surroundings, Filey can meet your needs www.filey.co.uk

Scarborough along with the fun of the quintessential "English Seaside" has a good balance of high street favourites for shopping as well as antique, curiosity and exclusive boutiques. Let's not forget the Spa complex overlooking the sea on the south bay which is the home of the country's last seaside orchestra! www.scarborough.co.uk

Whitby, a maritime town and the surrounding area follow the trails of pioneering high seas adventurers. Every twist of it's cobbled streets has a different story to tell, from Captain James Cook to Dracula, jet mines to whaling. learn about the perils of sea fishing and discover the fascinating art of smuggling. The famous herrings that have been traditionally kippered in the town for more than 130 years. www.whitby.co.uk

Heritage

Castle Howard is a beautiful 18th century palace sitting in 1,000 acres of gardens. It is well known for its towering dome, the first of its kind on a private House in Britain. Castle Howard's interiors are dramatic and intimate, from the grandeur of the Great Hall, with the Pellegrini frescos under the dome, to the vivid Turquoise Drawing Room. www.castlehoward.co.uk

Duncombe Park is amongst Yorkshire’s most amazing historic houses and estates, offering something for everyone to enjoy, from elegant rooms and the spectacular gardens to the finest shopping, food and drink and many miles of walks in the parkland. The home of Lord and Lady Feversham is set in the magnificent landscape of North Yorkshire just a stone throw away from the North York Moors. www.duncombepark.com

Scampston Hall is a family home and there are no ropes or other barriers to be seen, and Sir Charles, assisted by a friendly team of guides, enjoys taking people round his home in small groups. The House dates from 1690 but was extensively remodeled between 1795 and 1800 by the architect Thomas Leverton. It was redecorated internally in 1860 and again in 1910, so we faced quite a major task in 1995 when, having re-roofed and re-wired the house in the mid 1990s, there was a great deal to do. www.scampston.co.uk

York Minster is one of the great cathedrals of the world. We invite you to enjoy its vast spaces, filled with music and revealing the human imagination at work on glass, stone, and other fabrics. Whatever your faith and culture, you are welcome here, to see for yourself the life of a centre of Christian belief. York Minster is loved not only by people in the United Kingdom and Yorkshire, but by countless people across the globe. We hope you will be among them. www.yorkminster.org/

Activities

Flamingo Land is the UK’s only Theme Park, Zoo and Holiday Village , all set in over 375 acres of North Yorkshire parkland. With so much to see and do, visit us for the day and you’ll go home wishing you’d stayed longer www.flamingolamd.co.uk

The first Aerial Extreme Ropes Course opened in September 2003 in Bedale, North Yorkshire. Aerial Extreme Ltd, formed in December 2005. The company provides a unique combination of expertise – Europe’s leading ropes course constructors (Ropes Course Developments Ltd) and manufacturers of a market leading safety system (Exponent Challenge Technology). Merge this unique combination of technical expertise with AE’s expert Operations team and Aerial Extreme provides the market with unrivalled levels of efficiency, safety and experience. www.aerialextreme.co.uk

Aquariums have come a long way since the first SEA LIFE centre opened its doors on the banks of picturesque Loch Creran in the West Highlands of Scotland in 1979. Back then, most dealt exclusively with tropical fish, invariably housed in small oblong tanks either side of gloomy, oblong rooms, like animated paintings in a gallery. Oban SEA LIFE (now the Scottish SEA LIFE Sanctuary) broke the mould. Its displays are a variety of shapes and sizes. Some feature two or more windows, some reach only waist height providing views both through the water and from above its gently rippling surface.

It all began in 2001 when Tristram and Rebecca Mayhew, pictured here, were holidaying in France and ventured upon a tree-top adventure course set deep in the Auvergne National Forest. Here they came across a French family swinging through the trees. As one might have expected, the teenagers were having the time of their lives but it was was the look of ' We haven't had this much fun in years' on their parents faces that convinced Tris and Becs that they should quit their careers and bring the concept to the UK. www.goape.co.uk

The York Dungeon invites you to a unique feast of fun with history's horrible bits. Live actors, shows and special effects transport you back to those black, bleak times. Are you brave enough to delve into the darkest chapters of history? Enter the labyrinth of the lost at your peril! Buried beneath York Minster, discover the ancient fortress of Roman York and Emperor Constantine... Every treacherous turn takes you further into the hidden realm of the lost Roman legion... Will you ever get out?! www.thedungeons.com

10,000 acres of forest land makes the Langdale Quest the largest 4x4 driving site in the UK! There are 4 ways marked routes available covering a total of 50+ miles of forest terrain, including lots of mud, ruts, water, pools and steep hills. The routes are well maintained so all types of 4x4 vehicles, including the ones which normally get polished on sunday can be used! The activity is family, friendly, Treasure Hunts are provided along all the routes, kids also enjoy using the 2-way radios when 'checking in' with the instructors and helping with the navigation! www.langdalequest.co.uk

Nature

Wolds Way Lavender first opened in 2003, our dream has been to create a Lavender and Herb Farm that people can walk round and enjoy the vast variety of plants that are growing on the site. We have built our own distillery and distil the oil producing plants to extract their essential oils on site. We welcome visitors to enjoy the gardens, learn about lavenders, visit our gift and plant shop, and have a snack in our Tea Room. Good access for disabled visitors. www.woldswaylavender.co.uk

Wytherstone gardens are broken down into smaller feature gardens. Located only 2 miles from the popular market town of Helmsley, this friendly plantsman's garden set in 8 acres of rolling countryside on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors is perfect for gardening enthusiasts and novices alike. www.wytherstonegardens.com

Helmsley Walled Garden is a beautiful five acre walled garden in the heart of North Yorkshire, England. Dating from 1758, and set against the spectacular backdrop of Helmsley Castle in the grounds of Duncombe Park, the garden is gradually being restored to its former glory. Originally built to supply the Duncombe estate with fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, it was abandoned in the 1970's until, in 1994 extensive restoration was started to bring it back to life as a fully working kitchen garden. www.helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk

Hunmanby Grange lies 12.5 miles SE of Scarborough, on the road from Burton Fleming to Fordon, midway between Hunmanby and Wold Newton. A working farm situated on top of the Yorkshire Wolds, 110m above sea level, 4 miles inland from the southern end of Filey Bay. It occupies an exposed open site with prevailing winds from the West, the soil is a grade 2/3 clay loam over chalk, at a depth of only 20 - 30cm. Gardening here with this exposure to wind and the chalk soil were highlighted in a recent feature about the garden on the BBC2 programme 'Gardeners World'. www.hunmanbygrange.co.uk

Jacksons Wold, A 3 acre garden sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds with stunning views over the Vale of Pickering. The garden is located 1 mile south of Sherburn, and 480 feet above sea level. This family garden has been created over the last twenty years by enthusiastic and knowledgeable owners Richard and Sarah Cundall. They have designed the garden to sit in harmony with the surrounding countryside. www.jacksonswoldgarden.com

Shopping

For those who want to "bag some bargains" York McCarthy Glen designer outlet is around 35 minutes away. York city as well as the usual high street shops also has the very well known "Shambles" Today the Shambles is Europe's most visited street, attracting tourist, shoppers and business clients. Specialist jewellery shops such as Whitby Jet, Silver & Amber are all available alongside some other interesting and quirky ones

Taking great fresh & organic food produce home is easy from this part of the country. There are 2 farm shops only minutes away from the hotel. Delicatesan, bakeries, butchers and local producers of goods like ice cream, chocolates, dairy and many more are all easy to find in Kirkbymoorside, Helmsley or Pickering