The North York Moors has a quality that’s hard to pin down. It’s not the Dales’ postcard prettiness or the Lake District’s grandeur. It’s something wilder, more open, more atmospheric. Miles of heather moorland stretching to the horizon. Ancient abbeys dissolving into woodland. Fishing villages clinging to sea cliffs. Steam trains crossing landscapes that haven’t changed much since the Brontës were writing about them.
It’s also, from a practical standpoint, one of the best day trip destinations in the north of England if you’re based in the right place. And Givendale Cottages, on the Newby Hall Estate near Ripon, happens to be in a very right place indeed.
How Far Are the North York Moors from Givendale?
Honesty first: Givendale isn’t on the Moors’ doorstep. The western edge of the North York Moors National Park, around Helmsley and Sutton Bank, is about 45 minutes by car. The deeper interior, places like Goathland and Rosedale, takes closer to an hour and a quarter. Whitby, out on the coast, is roughly an hour and a half.
That might sound like a stretch, but the drive is beautiful (particularly the route through Thirsk and over Sutton Bank), and the reward is a national park that feels genuinely wild. For a holiday based at Givendale, the Moors make a brilliant full-day outing, and you can combine a Moors day with other attractions much closer to home on the days either side. The Yorkshire Dales, Fountains Abbey, Harrogate and York are all within 20 to 40 minutes.
What Givendale offers that a Moors-based cottage often can’t is range. You’re not committed to one national park. You can do the Moors one day, the Dales the next, and spend the third day not getting in the car at all, walking the estate grounds with a coffee from the cottage kitchen.
The Best Places to Visit in the North York Moors
Helmsley
The natural gateway to the Moors from the west, and the closest Moors town to Givendale. Helmsley is a handsome market town with a ruined castle, a walled garden, excellent independent shops and more tea rooms than seems reasonable for its size. It’s also the starting point for the Cleveland Way, a 109-mile national trail that circles the entire national park. You don’t need to walk all of it. The short loop from Helmsley to Rievaulx Abbey and back is one of the finest half-day walks in Yorkshire.
Rievaulx Abbey
The remains of this 12th-century Cistercian monastery sit in a wooded valley just outside Helmsley, and they’re genuinely moving. The scale of what’s left, soaring arches and pillared naves open to the sky, gives you a sense of what monastic life must have been like here nearly a thousand years ago. It’s managed by English Heritage and well worth the small admission fee. Combine it with the Rievaulx Terrace above for sweeping views down over the ruins.
Sutton Bank
The dramatic escarpment on the western edge of the Moors, Sutton Bank offers some of the best panoramic views in northern England. The National Park Centre here is a good starting point, and the short walk down to the Kilburn White Horse (a hillside figure carved from limestone in 1857) is an easy family-friendly loop of about two miles. On a clear day, you can see across the Vale of York all the way to the Pennines.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway
One of the Moors’ most iconic experiences. The heritage steam railway runs 18 miles from Pickering to Whitby through some of the national park’s most striking scenery. Goathland station, one of the stops, doubled as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films, which children (and plenty of adults) find unreasonably exciting. The railway is also a practical way to reach walking routes deep in the Moors without needing to shuttle cars.
Goathland
A small moorland village made famous by the TV series Heartbeat and the Harry Potter connection. Beyond the name recognition, Goathland is a genuinely lovely base for walks. The 3-mile route along the old railway track to Grosmont is one of the most popular in the park, and nearby Mallyan Spout, at 21 metres, is the tallest waterfall in the North York Moors. The village pubs are good, and sheep graze freely on the green, which is exactly the kind of detail that visitors find charming and locals find unremarkable.
Whitby
The Moors’ coastal jewel. Whitby sits at the mouth of the River Esk, with the dramatic ruins of Whitby Abbey looming above the town, 199 steps up from the harbour. The abbey inspired Bram Stoker to set parts of Dracula here, and the town still has a pleasingly gothic edge. Beyond the atmosphere, Whitby offers some of the best fish and chips in England (the Magpie Cafe has a reputation that extends well beyond Yorkshire), excellent independent shops in the old town, and a working harbour that gives the place a character most seaside towns lost decades ago.
Robin Hood’s Bay
A few miles south of Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay is a tiny fishing village crammed into a narrow ravine, with steep cobbled streets descending to a rocky beach. At low tide, the rock pools are exceptional. The cliff-top walk from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay along the Cleveland Way is one of the finest coastal walks in England, about six miles with sea views the entire way. You can get the bus back.
Rosedale Abbey
Deep in the interior of the Moors, Rosedale Abbey is a quiet village with a handful of tea rooms and pubs, surrounded by moorland walking routes. The 7.4-mile circuit around the dale is a classic Moors walk: exposed, windswept, and rewarding. The Rosedale Chimney Bank road (one of the steepest in England) is worth driving even if you don’t walk, just for the views from the top.
Dalby Forest
An 8,500-acre forest on the southern edge of the Moors with walking trails, cycling routes, a Go Ape high-ropes course, and one of the best Dark Sky Discovery Sites in England. The guided stargazing sessions, run on clear winter nights, are exceptional. Dalby is also a good option for families with younger children who need something a bit more structured than open moorland.
Farndale
In spring, Farndale comes alive with wild daffodils along the banks of the River Dove. The riverside walk is one of the most popular seasonal outings in Yorkshire, and for good reason: up to 40,000 people visit during the daffodil season (late March to April), so arrive early on weekends. Outside of spring, Farndale is a peaceful, beautiful dale that sees a fraction of the visitors.
Walking on the Moors: What to Know
The North York Moors has over 1,400 miles of public footpaths, plus large areas of open access moorland. The walking ranges from gentle riverside strolls to serious ridge walks, and the variety is one of the park’s real strengths.
For a first visit, the walk from Helmsley to Rievaulx Abbey (about 3 miles each way) is a good introduction, mixing woodland, river views and those extraordinary abbey ruins. The Goathland to Grosmont rail trail is another accessible favourite. For something more dramatic, the Cleveland Way coastal sections between Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay offer cliff-top walking with proper sea views.
A word on weather: the Moors are exposed. Even in summer, conditions on the high ground can change quickly. Pack layers and waterproofs regardless of the forecast. In August and September, when the heather blooms purple across the hills, the landscape is at its most photogenic, but the paths can be boggy after rain.
Combining the Moors with Other Days Out
One of the practical advantages of staying at Givendale Cottages is that you’re not limited to a single national park. A week at Givendale might look something like this: a day exploring the Moors (Helmsley, Rievaulx, and lunch in a market town), a day in the Yorkshire Dales (Nidderdale is just 30 minutes from the cottages), a day at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal (10 minutes away), a day in York or Harrogate, and a day doing very little, walking the Newby Hall Estate grounds, cycling into Ripon for lunch, and lighting the log burner in the evening.
If your group includes dogs, the Moors are excellent walking territory, and Givendale itself is genuinely dog-friendly with enclosed gardens and riverside walks from the doorstep.
For places to eat and drink close to Givendale, there’s a dedicated guide on the website covering everything from pub walks to restaurant recommendations.
When to Visit the Moors
Spring brings the Farndale daffodils (late March to mid-April), lambing season, and woodland bluebells. The walking is excellent, with fewer visitors than summer.
Summer means long days and purple heather from late July through September. This is the Moors at their most dramatic, though the popular spots (Whitby, Goathland) get busy, especially in school holidays.
Autumn is arguably the most atmospheric season. The heather fades to copper and gold, the forests turn, and the footpaths empty. The light is beautiful.
Winter is for people who like their landscapes raw. Short days, frost on the moorland, and an almost total absence of other walkers on the high ground. The Dark Skies Festival (usually February) is a particular highlight, and Givendale’s log burners and cosy interiors make coming home after a cold Moors walk properly satisfying.
Practical Information
Capacity: Up to 9 guests across both cottages (5 bedrooms total), or book Moat Cottage (sleeps 4) or Chantry Cottage (sleeps 5) individually.
Location: Great Givendale Cottages, Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5AD. 45 minutes to the western Moors (Helmsley), 1 hour 15 minutes to Whitby.
Dogs: Up to 2 per cottage (£20 pet charge).
What’s included: Welcome pack, free bike hire, 25% Newby Hall discount, Wi-Fi, log burners, fully equipped kitchens.
Hot tub: Available as an add-on when both cottages are booked. Enquire with Shanie.
Ready to Plan Your Moors Holiday?
The North York Moors reward slow exploration, the kind of holiday where you follow a footpath because it looks interesting, stop at a pub because the view from the garden is good, and come home to a cottage that feels like home. Givendale puts all of that within reach, along with the Dales, the Heritage Coast, and some of the best countryside in England.
Check availability and book your stay here →
Great Givendale Cottages, Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5AD
