jolidays.co.uk
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire offers a mix of historic cities, national parks, castles, and coastal resorts with well-connected transport links and rich cultural heritage.
Thornborough Henges
Thornborough Henges is a complex of three large Neolithic-era henges and an extensive cursus located in North Yorkshire, England, historically significant as a ceremonial and ritual site often compared to Stonehenge. The site is publicly accessible and managed by English Heritage, offering visitors a unique outdoor archaeological experience.
Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications
Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications are extensive earthworks marking one of the largest Iron Age hill forts in Britain, located in North Yorkshire. Visitors can explore impressive ramparts and archaeological features dating back to the Iron Age and Roman occupation period.
prehistoric historic-town nature-reserve
Brough Castle
Brough Castle is a historic ruined stone castle located in Brough, Cumbria, originally built in 1092 on a Roman fort site. Visitors can explore its extensive ruins including the 12th century keep and Clifford's Tower, revealing centuries of history shaped by battles, fires, and restorations. The site offers an outdoor experience rich in medieval and post-medieval heritage under English Heritage care.
Sawley Abbey
Sawley Abbey is the ruins of a historic Cistercian monastery founded in 1149, open to the public as an English Heritage site. Visitors can explore the remains of the abbey's cloister, church, and associated earthworks within an enclosed medieval precinct while learning about its history through onsite boards.
Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey is a historic former Cistercian abbey in Lancashire featuring extensive ruins and a modern retreat and conference house with visitor facilities including a coffee shop and exhibitions. Visitors can explore ancient monastic foundations and enjoy the blend of outdoor ruins and indoor hospitality spaces.
castle historic-town museum garden
Byland Abbey
Byland Abbey is a substantial ruined Cistercian monastery in North Yorkshire, England, featuring extensive remains of medieval church buildings including a grand church with a famed rose window, cloisters, and a gatehouse. It is an open historic site maintained by English Heritage, situated in the scenic North York Moors National Park.
castle historic-town nature-reserve garden
Thornton Abbey
Thornton Abbey is a historic medieval abbey in Lincolnshire, renowned for its large surviving monastic gatehouse and Gothic ruins. It offers visitors an outdoor experience exploring significant architectural and archaeological remains of a prestigious Augustinian priory founded in the 12th century. The site is managed by English Heritage and requires booking for visits.
castle historic-town museum garden
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey is a historic 7th-century Benedictine abbey ruin overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The substantial ruins are a Grade I listed building cared for by English Heritage, featuring a site museum in Cholmley House. The abbey is known for its role in the Synod of Whitby and for inspiring Bram Stoker's Dracula.
castle museum historic-town nature-reserve garden
York Castle
York Castle is a historic fortified complex in York, England featuring the ruins of Clifford's Tower, a unique medieval stone keep, and buildings housing the York Castle Museum and York Crown Court. It offers both indoor and outdoor heritage experiences reflecting its rich history from the Norman period through to a 17th-century explosion and beyond.
castle stately-home museum historic-town
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a historic 12th-century medieval fortress perched on a rocky headland overlooking the North Sea and the town of Scarborough. Visitors can explore its ruined keep, extensive curtain walls with towers, and an exhibition housed in the 18th-century Master Gunner's House. The site also includes earlier Iron Age, Roman, and Anglo-Scandinavian archaeological remains, and offers spectacular views and family-friendly events throughout the year.
castle historic-town garden museum nature-reserve
Mount Grace Priory
Mount Grace Priory is a well-preserved Carthusian monastery ruin in North Yorkshire offering visitors both indoor historical exhibits and outdoor exploration of medieval monastic buildings and woodland setting. The site features a reconstructed monk's cell and a museum presenting the site's history, located within the scenic North York Moors National Park.
castle stately-home garden historic-town museum nature-reserve
Pickering Castle
Pickering Castle in North Yorkshire is a well-preserved motte-and-bailey castle featuring a stone shell keep and chapel reconstruction. It served historic military and royal purposes, including housing Richard II as a prisoner. The castle offers outdoor exploration of ancient defensive walls, towers, and ditches with scenic views of the Vale of Pickering.
castle historic-town nature-reserve garden
Richmond Castle
Richmond Castle is a well-preserved Norman enclosure castle in Richmond, North Yorkshire, featuring a 12th-century keep with panoramic views, significant medieval history, and managed by English Heritage as a public tourist attraction.
castle historic-town garden museum
Bowes Castle
Bowes Castle is a medieval castle in County Durham built within the perimeter of a Roman fort. Its notable stone hall-keep ruins form a historic site managed by English Heritage with free public access during daylight hours.
Rievaulx Abbey
Rievaulx Abbey is a substantial ruined Cistercian monastery located in North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1132, it is maintained by English Heritage and offers visitors an outdoor historical experience of medieval monastic life and industrial heritage within the scenic North York Moors National Park.
castle museum garden historic-town nature-reserve
Skipsea Castle
Skipsea Castle is a Norman motte and bailey castle earthwork site in East Riding of Yorkshire, built around 1086 on a prehistoric Iron Age mound, with historic connections to medieval trade and defense, now managed by English Heritage and open to the public as an outdoor heritage site.
Easby Abbey
Easby Abbey is a historic ruined Premonstratensian abbey near Richmond, North Yorkshire, known for its riverside location, active parish church with medieval paintings, and scenic walks from Richmond Castle.
castle historic-town nature-reserve
Gisborough Priory
Gisborough Priory is an open-access ruined Augustinian priory in North Yorkshire famous for its grand east window and extensive Gothic architecture remains. The site includes excavated cloisters, a vaulted undercroft, a dovecote, and formal gardens used for flower cultivation.
Piercebridge Roman Bridge
Piercebridge Roman Bridge is the remains of a Roman bridge over the River Tees featuring large stone piers and historical significance as part of the Roman road Dere Street and nearby Roman fort, accessible as an outdoor historic site.
roman historic-town nature-reserve viewpoint riverside-walk
Spofforth Castle
Spofforth Castle is a historic 14th-century fortified manor house ruin located in Spofforth, North Yorkshire. Visitors can explore the outdoor remains of the castle which include unique rock-cut features and stairs, set in picturesque countryside managed by English Heritage.
Howden Minster
Howden Minster is a large Grade I listed Church of England church in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, known for its historical architecture from the 13th to 15th centuries, including a magnificent crossing tower and decorated east front, with portions of the church preserved as ruins and others still used as a parish church freely open to the public.
castle stately-home historic-town museum art-gallery
Egglestone Abbey
Egglestone Abbey is a ruined medieval Premonstratensian abbey near Barnard Castle in County Durham, featuring extensive outdoor ruins along the south bank of the River Tees. Visitors can explore the historical site maintained by English Heritage with free admission.
castle historic-town nature-reserve garden
Kirkham Priory
Kirkham Priory is the ruins of a 12th century Augustinian monastery located on the River Derwent in North Yorkshire, known for its historic gatehouse ruins and its use as a training site for D-Day military vehicles in WWII, now managed by English Heritage.
castle historic-town nature-reserve country-park woodland hill-walk viewpoint garden
East Riddlesden Hall
East Riddlesden Hall is a 17th-century historic manor house in West Yorkshire featuring well-preserved interiors, a medieval tithebarn, walled gardens, and a tea room, offering both indoor and outdoor experiences. It is notable for its architecture, royalist symbols, and as a filming location for various TV series and films.
stately-home garden historic-town museum
Fountains Abbey
Fountains Abbey is a historic ruined Cistercian monastery near Ripon, North Yorkshire, with architecture dating from the 12th century. It is part of Studley Royal Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring landscaped gardens and industrial heritage. The site is owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage, offering visitors extensive ruins, exhibitions, and scenic outdoor areas.
castle garden nature-reserve country-park historic-town museum stately-home industrial-heritage woodland
Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall is a Grade I listed Elizabethan country house located on the banks of the River Calder in Lancashire. The house features historic architecture with roots as a pele tower, extensive restoration by Charles Barry, ornamental gardens, and serves as a trailhead for the Brontë Way footpath. The site also includes Burnley Football Club's training complex on its grounds.
stately-home garden woodland historic-town nature-reserve hill-walk
Goddards
Goddards House and Garden in York is an Arts and Crafts historic house museum with well-preserved 1930s interiors and an extensive formal garden featuring a cruciform lily pool. Originally built for the Terry chocolate family, it now operated by the National Trust offers indoor heritage exhibits and outdoor garden exploration.
stately-home historic-town garden museum
Nostell
Nostell Priory is a historic Palladian house in West Yorkshire, England, featuring original 18th-century furnishings, extensive parkland with lakeside walks, notable artwork and furniture collections, and a rich monastic history dating back to the 12th century.
stately-home garden historic-town country-park adventure-park
Nunnington Hall
Nunnington Hall is a Grade I listed 17th-century country house in North Yorkshire featuring rich historic interiors, art collections, and period furniture. The hall sits beside the River Rye and is surrounded by organically managed gardens and orchards. It is managed by the National Trust and open to visitors interested in English heritage, architecture, and gardens.
stately-home garden art-gallery museum
Ormesby Hall
Ormesby Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century Georgian mansion in North Yorkshire, offering visitors a blend of historic indoor interiors, including plasterwork and Victorian kitchens, alongside expansive gardens and estate walks. The venue showcases local heritage with a public model railway and hosts various events throughout the year.
stately-home garden country-park woodland hill-walk historic-town museum
Roseberry Topping
Roseberry Topping is a distinctive hill in North Yorkshire offering scenic outdoor experiences with panoramic views, historical significance, and geological interest within the North York Moors National Park.
hill-walk nature-reserve country-park woodland
Treasurer's House, York
Treasurer's House is a Grade I listed historic house museum in York, showcasing architecture from the 12th century onwards with significant restoration by Frank Green. Owned by the National Trust, it offers tours including cellar and attic, features Roman archaeological remains, and a café and garden accessible to visitors. The house is notable for its reputed Roman soldier ghost sightings.
stately-home garden historic-town museum
Braithwaite Hall
Braithwaite Hall is a 17th-century manor house located in Coverdale, North Yorkshire, known for its historic architecture and status as a Grade II* listed building under the care of the National Trust.
stately-home historic-town garden
Barnard Castle (castle)
Barnard Castle is a ruined medieval stone castle in County Durham, England, featuring historic architectural remains and ruins open to the public under English Heritage care.
Helmsley Castle
Helmsley Castle is a medieval castle ruin located in Helmsley, North Yorkshire, within the North York Moors National Park. Visitors can explore the historic outdoor remains of this castle, which was significantly altered over centuries and partially destroyed during the English Civil War.
Isurium Brigantum
Aldborough Roman Site features the remains of the Roman town Isurium Brigantum, including town walls, Roman mosaic floors, and archaeological exhibits that reveal life in one of the northernmost Roman urban centers in Britain.
Marmion Tower
Marmion Tower is a ruined 15th-century stone gatehouse near West Tanfield, North Yorkshire, representing the entrance to a historic fortified manor. Managed by English Heritage, it offers visitors a glimpse into medieval architecture and heritage.
Wade's Causeway
Wade's Causeway is an ancient archaeological site in North Yorkshire's North York Moors National Park, featuring a visible stone causeway on Wheeldale Moor. Its origins are debated, possibly Roman or Neolithic, and it is a scheduled monument managed for public access and exploration as an outdoor historic trackway.
historic-town nature-reserve woodland country-park
Blakey Topping standing stones
Blakey Topping standing stones are a small group of ancient standing stones located in the North York Moors near Hole of Horcum. The site features several weathered stones that may be remnants of a stone circle or alignment, offering outdoor exploration of prehistoric monuments.
Brimham Rocks
Brimham Rocks is a natural Site of Special Scientific Interest in North Yorkshire, England, known for its fascinating weather-eroded rock formations spread across heathland and woodland in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site offers outdoor exploration, notable geological features, diverse flora and fauna, and is popular for family visits and rock climbing. Facilities include a National Trust visitor centre with food offerings and child-friendly discovery trails.
nature-reserve country-park woodland hill-walk viewpoint garden
Hardcastle Crags
Hardcastle Crags is a scenic Pennine valley in West Yorkshire featuring extensive woodland, walking paths, and the historic Gibson Mill, a renovated 19th-century water-powered cotton mill with sustainability exhibits. The site offers both indoor and outdoor experiences for nature and history enthusiasts.
nature-reserve country-park woodland industrial-heritage historic-town
Malham Tarn Estate
Malham Tarn Estate is a large National Trust agricultural estate in North Yorkshire featuring woodland, grassland, and Malham Tarn, a glacial lake and national nature reserve with international wetland status, offering outdoor experiences like fishing and grazing landscapes.
nature-reserve country-park woodland
Middlethorpe Hall
Middlethorpe Hall is a historic 17th-century English country house near York, set in extensive grounds with restored gardens and a lake. Owned by the National Trust and operating as a hotel, it offers visitors both indoor architectural heritage and outdoor natural beauty.
Coppergate Shopping Centre
Coppergate Shopping Centre is an open-air shopping venue in York featuring covered walkways, public squares, cafes, shops, and the Jorvik Viking Centre museum. It hosts seasonal displays and cultural events.
Beningbrough Hall
Beningbrough Hall is a large Baroque mansion near Beningbrough, North Yorkshire, featuring historic interiors, extensive gardens, and an art gallery exhibiting 18th-century portraits. The venue includes a restaurant, garden shop, and activities for families including a wilderness play area.
stately-home museum art-gallery garden country-park