The Yorkshire Dales
As the third largest National Park in the country, the Yorkshire Dales attracts millions of visitors every year to experience the Dales’ mesmerising beauty.
It’s a wonderful place for walking, with something for all abilities, or you can stick to the car and witness the beauty of the rolling countryside from the road.
You can even explore by bike, using the very same routes that starred in the 2014 Tour de France, including the beautifully-named ‘Côte de Buttertubs’ – a long, merciless climb that will require every ounce of energy and power you have to reach the spectacular panoramas at the top. Or you could just drive up.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
YSP is Britain’s first sculpture park, and many consider it to be one of the finest outdoor art exhibitions available.
It’s located in West Bretton, not too far from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and its main goal is to entice everyone into experiencing art, regardless of whether it’s a something you’re interested in or not.
In fact, the sculptures in the Park almost come second to just being out for a nice walk in beautiful countryside. Stop by the stunning Yorkshire Sculpture Park and you can be an accidental art critic too.
Whitby and The Yorkshire Coast
Whitby is perhaps the most famous Yorkshire Coast resort, with bags of heritage wound up in the town’s Gothic Abbey as well as its reputation for unbelievable fish and chips.
Visit at the right time and you can experience the truly exceptional Goth Festival, or if you prefer a less extroverted time, you can use Whitby as a base to explore the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
The Deep, Hull
Home to more than 5000 animals, The Deep is one of the most impressive aquariums in the world. The building itself is unmistakable, with its sharp, pointed architecture and prime position on the banks of the Humber Estuary.
The Deep opened in 2002, and continues to operate as a place for education as well as conversation. It’s open daily, and there really is no better place to witness the variety and beauty the sea has to offer.
The Piece Hall, Halifax
The Piece Hall is an historic building on a grand scale, recently revitalised for the 21st century thanks to a £19 million programme.
The result is a vast courtyard surrounded by four walls of boutique shops, bars and eateries. It’s a location absolutely perfect for an amble round the shops or a night out on the large stone tiles.
It’s situated right in the middle of Halifax, which makes it easily accessible from places like Leeds to the north, or Manchester to the south. Plus, its close proximity the M62 means the M1 and M6 aren’t too far away.
Gates open at 7am every day, but check The Piece Hall website to see when the shops roll up their shutters.
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Ripon
What can we tell you about this 900-year-old abbey and Georgian water garden? The phrase ‘not to be missed’ certainly applies, that’s for sure.
The Abbey is part-ruin, part adventurer’s paradise. Studley Royal, meanwhile, is a pristine haven of manicured lawns and charming water features.
Under the stewardship of the National Trust, all 800 acres of this World Heritage site are immaculately kept, offering visitors the opportunity to quickly tick the main sights off their bucket list, or to spend all day exploring the numerous trails and lesser-spotted features. The choice is yours.
Sutton Bank, North York Moors
For many Yorkshire folk – and for folk beyond Yorkshire too – the view from Sutton Bank is the best there is.
Sutton Bank is a picture-perfect vista, but it’s just the start of what the North York Moors National Park has to offer. Very different in character to the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors are wilder, bleaker, rougher, but with unquestionable beauty at the same time.