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Holmleigh Guest House

Holmleigh affords easy access to the spectacular Yorkshire coastline and the scenic North Yorks Moors. The guest house is a great base from which to explore the area especially for outdoor enthusiasts. For those preferring a more traditional seaside holiday, there are three miles of sandy beaches and lots of activities and attractions for all ages.

About Whitby and The Surrounding Area

The harbour is still a working port the large marina containing both working boats and pleasure craft alike. Boat building has seen a resurgence in recent years at Parkol Marine. Shipping has always been part of Whitby’s life and it was on The Bark Endeavour, a Whitby built ship, that Captain Cook set sail on his epic voyages of discovery during the 18th century. The full size replica of the Endeavour now resides in Sydney Harbour. The house on Grape Lane where Captain James Cook, Britain’s greatest seafarer and explorer, lodged as an apprentice is now The Captain Cook Memorial Museum.

The picturesque harbour side town of Whitby is steeped in historic charm. Cobbled streets, quaint fishermen’s cottages and narrow alleyways are overlooked by the gaunt ruins of the ancient cliff top abbey. The Abbey, originates from the 7^th century and produced “England’s first poet” Caedmon who is commemorated by a stone cross near the top of the One Hundred and Ninety Nine Steps. The present ruins date from 1220.

The town has long been the inspiration for many authors including Lewis Carroll but is mostly associated with Bram Stoker’s classic tale of “Dracula”. The streets are full of character with an ever increasing array of specialist shops including antiques, crafts, jet working and jewellry, boutiques, artist’s studios and photographic galleries which provide endless opportunities for browsing. Along with the many excellent cafes, pubs, bistros, tearooms and not forgetting Whitby’s world famous fish and chips and oak smoked kippers you will be spoiled for choice.

For the more energetic visitor, there are over 2,200k of paths and tracks to explore with many opportunities for golf, walking, cycling and horse riding. and water sports enthusiasts are equally well catered for as are sea, game and coarse anglers.

The North York Moors National Park

The Heritage Coast

The North York Moors National Park is best known for having the largest expanse of heather moorland in England. In summer, a carpet of purple stretches as far as the eye can see.

In autumn the bracken turns to rusty gold. The upland areas contrast with the scenic rolling landscape of the dales and villages and the rocky Heritage Coast.

The moors and waymark cross above Rosedale

Heartbeat country is only a short drive from Whitby. The fictional village of Aidensfield is in real life the scattered moorland hamlet of Goathland. Mallyan Spout is a 70’ waterfall is accessible by public footpath (and a short scramble over rocks) through a gate at the side of the Mallyan Spout Hotel in Goathland.

The River Esk

Outside the Birch Hall Inn at Beck Hole, near Goathland.

The Inn Way

A circular route of 142k which passes thirty one traditional English pubs. The quaint Birch Hall Inn at Beck Hole also doubles as the village shop. Starting at the market town of Helmsley, it takes walkers through the popular villages of Hutton-Le-Hole, Rosedale Abbey and Goathland.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway passes through the village and was the location for Hogsmead Station in the Harry Potter films. The North Yorks Moors Railway which runs 18 miles from Grosmont to Pickering through the old glacial valley of Newtondale at the very heart of the moors hosts many special events throughout the year.

The Rail Trail from Grosmont to Goathland

Text Box: The North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast is encompassed within National Park boundary and is for the most part rugged and wild. It is one of the finest stretches of undeveloped coastline in the country. This dramatic coastline, which runs for 36 miles (58k) from Saltburn by the Sea to Scalby Ness near Scarborough has some spectacular cliffs at Boulby.

Text Box: The coastline is most famous for its connections with Captain James Cook, one of Britain’s greatest seafarers and explorers. Born in Marton near Middlesbrough he moved to the tiny fishing village of Staithes at the age of sixteen before finally becoming a naval apprentice in Whitby where he learnt his seafaring skills. The Captain Cook Tour follows a circular country tour of some 70 miles by car, is fully signposted and can be completed in less than a day.

Text Box: These pretty villages act as gateways to the side valleys of Baysdale, Westerdale, Danby Dale, Little and Great Fryupdales, Glasidale and the Murk Esk. There are many excellent country pubs serving good food and real ales. The area is well served by the Moorbus during the summer months which is an ideal way to see the fine scenery and the pretty unspoilt villages of Eskdale. There are a range of walking routes to chose from, with opportunities for both linear and circular walks along and around the Esk Valley. The Moors National Park Centre and Danby Beacon high on Danby Moor with panoramic views of the area are both well worth a visit.

Text Box: Cleveland Way National Trail The Cleveland Way National Trail travels through some of the finest landscapes in the country. From Helmsley to Filey, 109 mile route takes in the wild and beautiful heather moorland scenery before reaching the dramatic cliffs and historic fishing villages of the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast.

Esk Valley Walk

Follows the River Esk from its source high on the North Yorks Moors to the coast at Whitby.

This 56k route through Eskdale can be divided into the circular section starting from Castleton and the straight section heading towards the coast. The river attracts much wildlife, including herons and kingfishers. On rare occasions, otters have been seen on the river banks near Ruswarp and seals are often spotted in and around the harbour entrance.

Text Box: Moor to Sea Cycle Route A cycle trail linking the towns of Scarborough, Pickering and Whitby. Crossing through pleasant forests, wild open moorland and travelling along the spectacular Heritage Coast, the eighty mile Moor to Sea Cycle Route takes in some of the most varied and dramatic scenery in North Yorkshire.

Text Box: The River Esk is the only salmon and sea trout river in Yorkshire being the only one to flow east into the sea at Whitby. The source of the River Esk can be found high on the North Yorks Moors on a remote part of heather moor land following the route of the Esk Valley Walk. Eskdale is the principal valley of the North York Moors. The Esk Valley is lined with attractive villages many of which have railway stations linked by the Esk Valley Railway.

Around The North Yorkshire Moors Area

Ryedale

In the heart of Yorkshire lie the many visitor attractions of Ryedale.

Eden Camp museum, and Flamingo Land theme park, near Pickering are great days out and well worth a visit.

A little bit further a field are the two fine jewels in the Yorkshire crown; Castle Howard, and Rievaulx Abbey.

The attractive towns of Pickering, Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Malton are bustling with traditional street markets on Market Days.

The Dalby Forest and its facilities which are accessed from the 9 mile Dalby Forest Drive toll road with free admission for Moorsbus users, walkers and cyclists, comes into its own during autumn when it is resplendent with seasonal colour.

Nearby is the attractive award winning village of Thornton-le-dale. Centred around a green with an ancient stone cross and village stocks, the village has a crystal clear trout stream meandering through, crossed by a number of small bridges.

Hutton-le-Hole is another attractive village which lies on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park. Set around sheep grazed greens bisected by Hutton Beck, Hutton-le Hole is the home of the Ryedale Folk Museum

Between the two huge wooded areas of Cropton and Dalby Forests lies an immense natural amphitheatre called the Hole of Horcum. A popular visitor attraction in it’s own right, there is a viewing point with car parking, picnic areas and access to many way marked footpaths.

Farndale is resplendent with daffodils each spring and is a tourist attraction in its own right, capturing the interest of thousands of visitors to the North York Moors. The Daffodil Walk follows a carpet of gold stretching seven miles of the dale and visitors come to saunter the dale from Low Mill to Church Houses.

The historic city of York is less than an hour’s drive away across the moors with its famous visitor attractions. York is well served by excellent award winning Park and Ride facilities. Must sees include York Minster the largest Gothic building in northern Europe which took 252 years to complete, and the National Railway Museum and the City Walls .

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The region is one of the most beautiful corners of England with ruined castles and abbeys, stately homes and gardens in abundance, and much, much more.

There is something for everyone, whether you enjoy lazing around on the long sandy beaches, strolls in the countryside, shopping in the bustling market towns or visiting historic sites.

There are rocky coves, miles of sandy beaches and a scattering of picture postcard fishing villages. Hidden between the steep cliffs, are the tiny fishing villages of Staithes, Runswick Bay and Robin Hood’s Bay.

The rocks of the Yorkshire coast are world famous for their fossils particularly ammonites. They can be found everywhere on the Dinosaur Coast between Ravenscar and Saltburn, so-called because the cliffs are made up of massive sandstones which sometime contain dinosaur footprints. Whitby Museum is home to a unique collection of Lower Jurassic fossils.The area is rich in remnants of past lives – in the jet workings near Whitby, the alum workings and ancient rutways near Ravenscar.

During the summer months, steam trains link the picturesque Esk Valley line from Whitby to the North Yorks Moors Railway at Grosmont to form the longest steam railway in England..