Whitby and the coast (Whitby, Sandsend, Robin Hood's Bay)
Whitby has more of our Yorkshire cottages than anywhere else. The abbey ruins stand on the East Cliff above the harbour, and Sandsend has a long sandy beach a few miles north. The Cleveland Way runs south along the clifftops to Robin Hood's Bay, about seven miles, with buses back. From London, allow around five hours by car.
Best for: Families and walkers who want a harbour town and cliff paths
Not for you if: You dislike steps and crowds: the 199 steps up to the abbey are packed on summer days and during the goth weekends.
The Yorkshire Moors (Pickering, Goathland, Hutton-le-Hole)
The North York Moors are at their best in August and early September, when the heather flowers. Goathland, the Aidensfield of the TV series Heartbeat, is a stop on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway between Pickering and Grosmont. Hutton-le-Hole has the Ryedale Folk Museum, and Helmsley a castle and market square. York is about an hour from Pickering.
Best for: Walkers, steam railway fans and purple heather in late summer
Not for you if: You want shops and pubs on foot: villages are small and the drives between them are long.
Scarborough, Filey and Snainton
Scarborough has two bays split by a headland with a ruined castle on top. The South Bay has the harbour and amusements, and the North Bay is quieter, with Peasholm Park behind it. Filey, about 15 minutes south, has a long sandy beach and Filey Brigg, a rocky point with rock pools at low tide. Snainton is inland towards Pickering. Trains run from York to Scarborough in under an hour.
Best for: Seaside holidays with sandy beaches and a train line to York
Not for you if: You want somewhere quiet in August: Scarborough's South Bay is a busy resort in the school holidays.
Harrogate
Harrogate is a Victorian spa town with the Valley Gardens, the Turkish Baths and Bettys tea rooms. RHS Garden Harlow Carr is on the edge of town, and Knaresborough, with its castle above the river and viaduct, is ten minutes away. Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, is about half an hour north. Trains run to Leeds and York, and LNER has a few direct trains a day from London King's Cross.
Best for: A spa town base for shops, gardens and day trips
Not for you if: You want wild country outside the door: Harrogate is a sizeable town, and the Dales proper are a drive away.
Richmond, Hawes and Wensleydale (northern Dales)
Richmond is a market town above the River Swale, with a Norman castle and a big cobbled market place,. Hawes, at the top of Wensleydale, has the Wensleydale Creamery and a Tuesday market. Hardraw Force, a tall waterfall reached through the Green Dragon pub, is just outside Hawes, and Aysgarth Falls is around 20 minutes down the valley. Darlington, on the main line from London, is the nearest station to Richmond.
Best for: Walkers who want waterfalls, market towns and quiet valleys
Not for you if: You need good phone signal: upper Wensleydale and Swaledale have patchy mobile coverage.
Skipton, Settle and Ingleton (southern Dales)
Skipton is a market town with a medieval castle and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal running through it. Malham Cove, a limestone cliff with a pavement on top, is about half an hour north. Settle is on the Settle to Carlisle railway, which crosses the Ribblehead Viaduct. Ingleton has the Waterfalls Trail and is a base for the Three Peaks, including Ingleborough. Trains from Leeds reach Skipton in about 45 minutes.
Best for: Limestone walks, caves and the Settle to Carlisle railway
Not for you if: You want empty paths on fine weekends: Malham and the Three Peaks routes get very busy.
Hull and Beverley (East Yorkshire)
Beverley is a market town with a Gothic minster, a racecourse and an old centre you can walk round in an afternoon. Hull, about 20 minutes south, has The Deep aquarium, free museums in the old town and the Humber Bridge just to the west. Spurn Point, a thin spit of sand and shingle, is about an hour's drive. Hull has direct trains from London King's Cross in around two and three quarter hours.
Best for: A minster town and city museums, with the Humber close by
Not for you if: You want hills and moorland: East Yorkshire is flat farmland around the Humber estuary.
