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Moving on to Yorkshire

So I've booked a place in Castleton in The Peak District, and will be staying for 5 nights (thanks for all who helped with that decision!). After that, I'm heading up towards Yorkshire. And this is where I'm trying to figure out my bases, and would love some help.

I have been reading a lot of posts here and I'm thinking I will need two bases as I will be covering the Yorkshire Dales, and also areas of the North Yorkshire Moor. So here are my questions/issues:

  1. I would prefer not to stay in the city of York, but visit it from another base. Is that sacrilegious? :) It's just that I will have a car and it seems that it will be a bit of trouble to go into the city and deal with parking, rather than just using the car park outside.
  2. The places I would like to see include York, Haworth, Harrogate, Thirsk, Grassington, Fountains Abbey, Castle Howard, Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay, Helmsley, and would also like to take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway that runs between Whitby and Pickering. Feel free to throw more at me, too. :)
  3. A couple of ideas for bases that came to me were Grassington for the Yorkshire Dales and Helmsley or Thirsk for the North Yorkshire area. Or maybe Harrowgate or Pickering or one of the other train towns (although I will have a car)? I like riding trains, though.
  4. I will have a total of 12-13 nights left before I head back to London, but after Yorkshire, I want to spend some time in Northumberland, so maybe 6-7 nights here and then 6-7 nights in Northumberland? Is that a good allocation? Or should I add/subtract one from the other?

Any help you all can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Posted by
20 posts

One place you might consider near Helmsley is Laskill Farm. It is a warm and comfortable manor house with rooms, hosted by Mandy, a very welcoming owner. They also have self catering cottages on site as well. It was a highlight of the hiking tour I did in 2017, and it looks like the place is still getting rave reviews.

Posted by
8234 posts

Mardee,

I don't think it is at all sacriligious not to stay in York. If you stay in a surrounding town York has 6 park and ride sites on the edge of the City. There are fast and efficient bus routes into the City from each, run with double deck buses, most of which are electric buses https://www.itravelyork.info/park-and-ride

Or if staying in 'Harrogate' use the half hourly train. I've done that route again this week.

I scratched my head when I saw Harrowgate as it is Harrogate. Personally I think you would prefer Knaresborough (another train town)- the next town 3 or 4 miles down the road. Whichever, visit Mother Shipton's cave at Knresborough.

It is more picturesque IMO, YMMV, less crowded, and featured quite a lot in the Paddington 2 movie!!- especially the railway viaduct.

You could do Haworth on your transfer day from the Peak District to the Dales. Another chance to do a steam train trip (Keighley and Worth Valley Railway- the Railway Children- original and recent remake- movie).

As a place to stay, I would prefer Kettlewell to Grassington, or any of the towns or villages in Wensleydale.

Bolton Abbey and the Strid should also be on your list of places to go in the Dales.

I don't personally think you can do the Dales without going to Aysgarth, Hawes (for the Creamery the Rope Works,and the Dales Countryside Museum) and would recommend nearby Hardraw Force (waterfall).

I would normally suggest going over to Swaledale over the Buttertubs Pass but am uncertain about you driving the Buttertubs, due to your heights issue, and your experience on Mull.

Pickering isn't a National Rail town, just the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Malton would be your National Rail town- and another one with good rail service to York, although the Coastliner bus is more frequent.

Posted by
8234 posts

This is one route from Castleton to Haworth, and nothing wrong with it as a good and the fastest route- https://www.theaa.com/route-planner/route?from=Castleton,%20Hope%20Valley,%20UK&to=Haworth,%20Keighley,%20UK

Personally I'd rather take the southern approach route via Rochdale, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge (for the scenery) but that's very much personal preference.

From Haworth it is about an hour on to Grassington, Kettlewell, Harrogate or Knaresborough.

Posted by
2336 posts

isn31c is spot as as always with one proviso... unfortunately the rope makers in Hawes closed down at the end of last year. Equipment and machines were bought by a former employee who has launched her own business in nearby Askrigg..
Do go and support Caroline and her enterprise. Tie this in with a visit to Aysgarth Falls.

If you are a fan of James Herriot books, Askrigg was used to film the first TV series of All Creatures Great and Small back in 1978. In the last series, they used Grassington. The ‘real’ James Herriot and his wife spent their honeymoon at the Wheatsheaf Inn in Carperby.

If you are wanting to see both the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors then it definitely isn’t sacrilege not to stop in York. In fact it makes sense... Choose one of the smaller towns to stay rather than Harrogate or Thirsk.

Do Haworth on your way from Castleton to the Dales. Kettlewell would work well as a base (and is probably less touristy than Grassington.) You have access to Skipton, Malham, Settle as well as Wensleydale and Swaledale. These tend to be less busy than the southern dales. Have a look for B&B in one of the pubs!

Then head to the North York Moors, calling at Thirsk on the way. Either Helmsley or Pickering would work as a base, although they are southern edge rather central. They are both attractive small town with a lot of character and also a ruined castle.

If you visit Pickering, do go in the church which has wonderful medieval wall paintings. Russells the Bakers on Pickering High Street has a good cafe and is also the place to pick up a picnic lunch. Their double choc chip slice is to die for!

It is a lovely drive across the moors to Whitby (or take the steam train.) From Helmsley there is a lovely walk up the river following the Cleveland Way to Rievaulx Abbey. Parking can be an issue at Rievaulx, and they do encourage people to walk!
More detailed map

Mount Grace Priory is also worth visiting and is very different to Rievaulx.

If you are interested in social history then Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton le Hole, is a must as it has collected old buildings from across the area and reassembled them here. Hutton le Hole is a very attractive stone village with a stream flowing down the centre and worthy of anywhere in the Cotswolds...

If you like pretty villages there is also Thornton le Dale which is a real tourist honey pot. But there is a lovely walk from the village following the beck to the tiny settlement of Ellerburn (see Walk 4 here.) Walk back along the river rather than the raod. Stop off to have a look in the tiny St Hilda’s Church and The Tea Cosy Tea Room in the end cottage is very good - its worth the walk just for that!

There is so much to see and enjoy in both these areas. Try and allocate 4 nights to each, even those this will probably mean less time in Northumberland - another wonderful area...

Posted by
8234 posts

I'm sad to hear of the closure of the Hawes ropeworks, but so pleased that their legacy lives on, what (as Caroline says on her website) is a dying craft.

I totally agree with Wasleys that is almost more reason to visit the new business in Askrigg.

Exactly the sort of thing we should be supporting as visitors to an area (any area).

Posted by
3215 posts

I scratched my head when I saw Harrowgate as it is Harrogate.
Personally I think you would prefer Knaresborough (another train
town)- the next town 3 or 4 miles down the road.

I recently did day trips to both Knaresborough and Harrogate and second the recommendation to use Knaresborough as a base. Such a great place to wander around early in the morning.

Posted by
8234 posts

Remembering the broad sort of theme of this trip, of following the Spring Flowers, on the North York Moors there is the Farndale Daffodil Walk. A really spectacular show, known throughout North East England and Yorkshire.

Before Covid there was a special shuttle bus (under the Moorsbus network brand) which ran from the car park at Hutton-le-Hole in season.

Maybe @wasleys or @ianandjulie knows whether that has returned subsequently.

Posted by
4927 posts

I am offering no help - just laughing to myself because this is such a wonderful area that I think you need the whole 12-13 nights here. 🤣

Posted by
2336 posts

I think you need the whole 12-13 nights here.

I know, I know - it is so difficult but Northumberland is equally as good! I'm getting really quite envious about Mardee's trip.

Posted by
776 posts

You could take a look at Masham, a nice little town on the eastern edge of the Dales, which could also potentially serve as a base for the Moors and it’s a good location for driving to Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, York etc.

It’s a nice little place that feels like actual people live there and it has the Black Sheep Brewery as well as Theakstons. (Do you like beer?)

Posted by
3215 posts

I'm getting really quite envious about Mardee's trip.

Me too!!!! Maybe Mardee can rent a van and pick 10 forum members to come along. 😊

Posted by
8250 posts

momdal, that place looks really nice! I've bookmarked the website and will check into it. Thank you!

Stuart, rats, I misspelled Harrogate!!! 🤪 I hate it when I spell something wrong - thank you for letting me know. And thank you for the info on York! That's very good to know about the electric buses and the train from Harrogate, but now I'm intrigued by Knaresborough. That sounds like an interesting town and a good place to stay. TBH, the only reason I added Harrogate was because the hotel there housed Agatha Christie when she "ran away." :) But not a good enough reason for a base, lol!

That's a good idea about when to see Haworth also. I have been there before but don't remember much (it was 1996) so I'd like to see it again. And thank you for the warning about Buttertubs Pass (I love that name!). I looked at some photos and it might be possible - I could always check it out and turn around if it looks too terrible. And thank you for all the suggestions about places to visit - definitely all going on my list!

Thanks also for the information about routes from Castleton to Haworth. I do like scenic routes and I won't be in a great hurry, so the southern route sounds very appealing.

wasleys, thanks for updated information on the rope makers, and I will definitely visit Caroline's new business. It sounds very interesting! Yes, I love the James Herriot books and that would be very fun to see the town for that (and I also saw that first series - and have seen the second). :) Kettlewell sounds idea and I do like that it's less touristy. When I first thought of Grassington, I didn't realize it was the site for the second James Herriot series, so I'm sure it attracts a lot of tourists. I will look at pubs with B&Bs! I always enjoy staying in a pub, lol! On my first trip here in 1996, I stayed in a number of them. In fact, one was in this area in a town called Blubberhouses. I loved that name and that's the main reason I stopped there). :)

And thank you for all that incredible information about things and places to see in the area. It sounds like I could easily spend weeks here! I will definitely give this place 8 nights at least, which makes a lot of sense. So with regards to Helmsley or Pickering being farther south than central, is there a better place that would work?

Stuart, I agree wholeheartedly - I love supported both local (and new) businesses, but especially one with a craft that is a lost art.

Carrie, thanks! That's good to know! I need to go back and re-read your trip report!

Stuart, the daffodil walk would be lovely to see! I will check into it when I'm there. Hopefully there is parking nearby if the shuttle bus is not running and I certainly don't mind walking a bit.

TexasTravelmom, right, you certainly ARE no help!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Well, I'm definitely committing to at least 8 nights here and could maybe squeeze in one more. I will get to Yorkshire on April 10, and don't fly out of London till the 25th (I would want to be back by the 23rd at the latest). So many decisions...

wasleys, I'm just going to have to come back! 🤣

Golden Girl, Masham sounds nice. And I do like beer!

Me too!!!! Maybe Mardee can rent a van and pick 10 forum members to come along.

Carrie, I would love that as long as someone else promises to drive that van on those narrow roads, lol!!!!

So now I'm wondering if it would be better just to have one base? Or should I go for two? It seems like I can get to most places pretty easily either with a car or using the train.

Posted by
1346 posts

Hi Mardee -

Very little to argue with here and much of it great advice/suggestions.

It’s not sacrilegious to not want to stay in the centre of York, but plenty of the hotels in town have their own parking facilities - it’s an important feature to be aware of if you do decide to book somewhere centrally.

I would second the recommendation regarding Bolton Abbey - there’s parallels here with Fountains Abbey, and indeed much of the land in this area of the Dales was split between the two houses. Fountains is the more ambitious of the two sites today.

Grassington does get busy but it’s popular for a reason. Two other sites nearby that might be worth looking at are the similarly popular, but smaller, village of Burnsall and further down the River Wharfe is Appletreewick.

Howarth has plenty of pubs and other accommodations given the lure of the Brontes. If staying there and you don’t have somewhere with private parking use only the car park outside the Parsonage/Museum - the other car parks at the top of the village have a piratical reputation for clamping/ripping off patrons on the flimsiest of excuses - what they do is legal, but unsavoury in my book.

Pickering is a good base for the North Yorkshire Moors and East Coast - so much so that we are looking at using it as a base for a group trip next year! Helmsley is similarly good. Thirsk, while perfectly pleasant, for me falls between two stools, it being between the Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors proper. Which is probably why it was perfect for the Wight/Herriot veterinary practice. But to quote local vernacular, in my view it ends up being neither ‘nowt nor summat’.

When you tie down or firm up your itinerary give us a shout and we might be able to get into fine detail. Unless you do the group of forum locals as guides suggestion, in which case, hope to see you on the bus!

Ian

Posted by
2336 posts

So with regards to Helmsley or Pickering being farther south than central, is there a better place that would work?

Not really. The centre part of the North York Moors is pretty devoid of settlement of any size. What there is will be small and with limited facilities and less choice of accommodation. Either Pickering or Helmsley will work for you and you will be able to reach everywhere without too many problems. I spent a week based in Pickering a couple of years ago and hardly scratched the area...

Posted by
2336 posts

So now I'm wondering if it would be better just to have one base? Or should I go for two?

Go for one base in the Dales and another in the North York Moors. Don't try and do both from a central base as you will waste a lot of time travelling as well as ending up in what might be a very boroing area in between!

Posted by
2823 posts

I’m not sure my comments will be helpful, as we have not had a car in this area and therefore we were looking for different things, particularly good walking from the town and good bus or train service. (I must say it would be glorious to have a car here. But only with a driver, haha!)

I’ve stayed in four small towns in this area, not counting York:

Richmond — I was just there in July and thought it was near perfect. Very pretty, just the right size with plenty of places to eat and nice hiking with beautiful views.

Grassington — This is another town with all the attributes of Richmond, but smaller. The fact that it’s now featured in All Creatures makes me want to return.

Helmsley — This is a nice town, with a nice walk to Riveaux Abbey, but we otherwise the walking from town was more limited. It didn’t have the charm for me that the other two had.

Whitby — This was one of my favorite places to stay ever. It has so much going for it. The town is very picturesque and is on the water. It’s very scenic being in the hollow between two cliffs, one with the fabulous abbey and the other with a view of the abbey. The view as the sun rises is spectacular! We stayed on the side with the view of the abbey, which not only let us view the gorgeous sunrise, but also walk down to the beach and walk along the rocky coast and watch the waves crashing on rocks with no one else around. You can catch the train to Pickering or points along the way (we trained to one town and walked back) or you can take the bus to some of the villages along the coast and walk or bus back. The Dracula connection is also cool. I could go on and on about Whitby’s charms. Unfortunately, it is not very central, being on the coast. And it’s crowded, although it was very quiet where we stayed.

Posted by
8234 posts

Just to develop what Carroll said about Richmond- one of the things about Richmond which might appeal to Mardee in particular (given her original profession) is the marvellous Georgian Theatre Royal .

They do daily tours- I suppose that would have to be on transfer day from the Dales to the Moors. I don't know where you would fit in an actual show.

The cobbled market place is wonderful and another peculiarity is the ringing of the town bell at 8am to rouse the apprentices, and at 8pm to signal the town's night curfew- both now of course just purely symbolic history.
Here is more details of the Town Hall..
I spent one Christmas here in the King's Head Hotel (another great Georgian building) and the twice daily bell ringing opposite was a feature of the days.
The town also has an important Castle and the former Railway Station is worth a visit- with it's artisan food shops, restaurant, art gallery, visitor centre, restaurant and cinema/movie theater. One of the best re-uses/conversions of a railway station I know of.

I second Wasleys that I do think Yorkshire needs two bases. I can't decide between Pickering and Helmsley. Further north, closer to Whitby and on the NYMR are the villages of Goathland and Grosmont. Grosmont is the original northern end of the NYMR before the extension onto the main line to Whitby.
I prefer Goathland- which was 'Aidensfield' in the long running UK police fiction programme 'Heartbeat'- a programme that probably never crossed the pond.
Not too far away on the railway to Middlesborough is a small village called Castleton. It's quite popular with walkers and does have accommodation, but I think is too far north for Mardee!

Posted by
8250 posts

Ian, thanks for your thoughts. I have been checking on parking facilities. I learned that after I had to cancel a booking in Cornwall because there was no parking nearby. And I agree that Bolton Abbey sounds really lovely - I looked up some photos of it and it is on my must-see list now. I will also check out Burnsall and Appletreewick (love that name!). I think the best thing for me to do now is sit down with a map and just figure it all out. :)

I probably wouldn't stay in Haworth as it seems to be a bit out of the way. But I will remember the tip about parking. I do like the idea of Pickering, and I especially like that I can get on the North Yorkshire Railway train from there quite easily. And thank you for your offer of the "fine detail" as I will definitely take you up on that! And who knows - you may see me on the bus! 🤣

Mary, hahahahahaha!!!!! Are you asking to drive? Okay, you're it!!!

wasleys, thanks! Having 2 bases makes sense - and I think Pickering is looking pretty good right now!

Carroll, thank you for your comments! They are very helpful, especially about Whitby! I was here for one night back in the 90's and loved it and really want to go back. I'm wondering if rather than use it as a base or even a day trip, if I might not save it till the end of my Yorkshire stay and spend a night or two there before I head up the coast to Northumberland. I was hoping to get some walking in along the northeast coast around Bamburgh and maybe get to Holy Island, so it might make sense to be in that area anyway.

Stuart, Richmond does look like a really neat place and I love the theatre connection! And bells! I love bells! It looks like a lot of fun. And I guess we're all in agreement on the two bases. I was actually looking at Goathland (I keep seeing Goatland in my brain though) as it is one of the towns served by the North Yorkshire Railway. I love that station - it's very quaint and charming! I will check out Castleton, too, although I think you're right in that it is a bit farther out. But that would be ironic if I stayed in Castleton in The Peak and also Castleton in North Yorkshire. 😊 Thank you!

Posted by
2336 posts

I had thought about Goathland as a possible base but then discounted it. It is a very attractive village but it isn't very big and there are few amenities. There's less choice of accommodation and the shops are geared up to the day tourist.

Posted by
8250 posts

Thanks, wasleys. I was wondering about that. I think I'll stick with seeing Goatherd as part of the North Yorkshire Railway trip I intend to make.

Posted by
8234 posts

Mardee,

It is worth saying that the North Yorkshire Moors Railway made changes to it's operations post Covid, and not for the better.

You now have to ride end to end on specified trains (as an advance booking) and have lost the ability to just hop on and off at stations. So if you go to Whitby you now have to come back on a specified train, no flexibility if you suddenly decide you want to stay longer.

My own local preserved railway, the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway, has done the same, and is the poorer and far less useful for it. (as have a number in North Wales and elsewhere in the UK).

On the NYMR you can only book to and from intermediate stations on the day. Although not stated it seems to be like the Ravenglass railway (where it is available only if space available- well pre Covid there were never ever space problems on the 'Ratty' on the day for walkers- you just flagged down a passing train).

But your NYMR ticket is now available for unlimited returns for the year, sadly non-transferable!

So you may not get to see Goathland village- just the station as you stop briefly.

You just have to work with it. It is what it is.

Posted by
513 posts

OMG, I want a seat in the van! I'm thinking maybe my husband and I should pick this area for our proposed trip next spring. It's just too hard to choose where to focus. Thank you, everyone, for providing such great info.

Posted by
2336 posts

You have me confused isn31c....mind you that’s fairly easily done...

I know this was 2021, but we did a couple of trips on the NYMR that year. Compared with the FR in North Wales, we were surprised how flexible it actually was. The first trip was a Pickering to Whitby return when we had to come back on a specified train. The second trip we bought a return to Grosmont and just had to specify the outbound train from Pickering and were allocated a reserved seat. Coming back we could get any train, although we knew we would have to take pot luck on a seat. We got off at Goathland and explored the the village and then walked along the old rail trail (easy and interesting walk) to Grosmont and then caught the train back from there.

Looking at the NYMR website to make a spoof ticket booking, it says ‘Please select your date of travel and outbound journey. You will not be required to select a return journey.’

True, you can’t hop on or hop off at different stations along the line, but it still should theoretically be possible to get off at Goathland as above???

Mind you if Mardee is hiring a car, she could always drive to Goathland?

Posted by
8234 posts

OMG, I want a seat in the van

At this rate it's not a Rabbies style van, it's a full sized bus!!

Posted by
8250 posts

I'm a little confused, too. When I go to ticketing info (where it talks about the "new" 2023 tickets), it says;

Our New 2023 Ticket enables you to make return visits for 1 whole year from the date of your first visit - ensuring you can see and enjoy the NYMR and the works of the charity. This is no additional cost to you. ... The price to travel for one day is the same price as our NEW 2023 Ticket and you can explore and 'hop-on and hop-off' across the line.

And again, on the FAQs page, if you scroll down to "Can I 'hop-on', 'hop-off' a Service?", the answer is "Yes, all our standard services are now hop-on & hop-off."

OMG, I want a seat in the van! I'm thinking maybe my husband and I should pick this area for our proposed trip next spring. It's just too hard to choose where to focus. Thank you, everyone, for providing such great info.

Cherie, you definitely have one! :) Seriously if you are in this area next spring, let me know!

At this rate it's not a Rabbies style van, it's a full sized bus!!

Hahahaha!!!! Very true, Stuart!!!

Posted by
8234 posts

I think the NYMR website is utterly confusing and baffling.

Even if you book ahead there is no reserved seat. As it is capacity controlled there is a seat, but not a reserved one. And it appears to say that short distance fares are only available between two consecutive stations, and as day return fares, not single fares.

So I wonder if the answer is to turn up on the day at 8.30 am and buy a Pickering to Goathland day return ticket , get off there in between trains, and also buy a Goathland to Whitby day return ticket (possibly at Goathland, not Pickering), then come back straight through from Whitby to Pickering using the two return ticket halves. It possibly breaks the spirit of the system- so may be in breach of Community Guideline 7, but it's their stupid ticketing system.

Doing that loses the annual ticket element, but that is irrelevant to a foreign tourist, and it is the same overall fare.

Or yes, do a simple Whitby return trip and drive to Goathland on another day, on the transfer to Northumberland, maybe. There is more than enough in Whitby to fill a full day.

Of course this may all change for 2024. Common sense may return.

I was looking to do the new stretch of the Wensleydale railway. That is another one where they will not sell short distance single fares- but insist on a full line day rover. They lose my trade with that policy.

Posted by
8234 posts

And again, on the FAQs page, if you scroll down to "Can I 'hop-on', 'hop-off' a Service?", the answer is "Yes, all our standard services are now hop-on & hop-off."

I've looked at this website several times this year and spent at least 2 hours today on it between other duties, and not found that. So if that's the case what's with the booking system?

Baffling.

So if you book a ticket to Whitby on the 1st train does that really mean you can get off at each station, back on the next train etc up the line- so taking probably all day to reach Whitby? How does that work against Capacity controlling the trains?

Posted by
2336 posts

I'm so relieved it wasn't' just me that was confused!!!

I've rung NYMR customer services this morning and asked them. They confirm that you can break journey at any time on your journey and have gone back to the flexible pre covid system.

So if you book a ticket to Whitby on the 1st train does that really mean you can get off at each station, back on the next train etc up the line- so taking probably all day to reach Whitby?

Yippee, yes it does!

You are no longer allocated a seat with your ticket and can come back on any train you want.

Tickets can either be booked on line or at the ticket office on the day. So panic over Mardee. Check the timetable and confirm how a break at Goathland works with the train times!

Posted by
8234 posts

Well, I hope they get the message that their website is just bad, and really work to improve it.

The whole purpose of a website should be to draw people in, not to put people off, especially people like me who are their natural audience. I actually want to encourage other people to use their services.

I'm not going to call them (any organisation) or e-mail them, if I can't find the information I want, or it puts me off. I'm just going to go elsewhere. And many other people will do the same.

As with the Wensleydale Railway, as with the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway (with all their still closed intermediate stations). With the P and D I want to use them to get to Greenway House, but can't. They lose the trade, but so has a local guesthouse I would have stayed at pre and post the visit. Yes I know I can get to Greenway on the boat from Dartmouth or on the #120 bus to Churston, but that's not how I want to do it.

So in essence pre booking is not required, it is just for the convenience of their cash flow.

Posted by
8250 posts

Thanks, wasleys, for calling them about that - it's good to know it will work!

Posted by
8234 posts

Back to the literary theme and Agatha Christie in Harrogate.

The Old Swan Hotel is in a very central location, just down the hill from the Cairn Hotel. Just at the bottom of the main street on the road to Ripon. The Cairn is where I stay when in that area largely because it is part of the Scottish Strathmore hotel group, so is very good value.
It looks a very nice hotel. By chance I passed it last week on my way from Ripon to Leeds.

But if you were staying in Knaresborough you could easily pop down to the Old Swan for a meal.

They also do regular Murder Mystery events, although there isn't one when you are there.

Posted by
8250 posts

Thanks, Stuart - I like the idea of stopping in there for a meal. Pam (from Coeur d'Alene) was the one who stayed there and told me about it, and said ti was nice.

I'm sick right now with Pleurisy and feeling pretty miserable so hopefully I can get back to trip planning once I feel better.

Posted by
8250 posts

Thanks, Stuart! My fever finally broke late morning and I feel so much better! Back to trip planning!

Posted by
8250 posts

Hahaha!!! I think I was going to pull out a big map and start poking push pins into place!

Posted by
3904 posts

Bumping this thread back up, as today several people have expressed an interest in the areas discussed.

Posted by
8234 posts

Mardee,

I'm not sure which day you are doing the North Yorkshire Moors Railway but Goathland Station (Hogsmeade) is closed for engineering work to repair Bridge 27a (the vehicle access to the station) from 5 to 12 April. Trains will still run through, but without stopping.

I know there was talk of you trying to stop in there during that day.

So hopefully that trip is later rather than sooner during your Yorkshire stay.

Posted by
8250 posts

Stuart, I'm not taking the NYMR until April 16, so hopefully the construction will be done by then, as I'd really like to see that particular station.

By the way, that construction you mentioned in Penryn Village outside of Falmouth was really not bad when I came through. I'd forgotten about taking the alternate route, and there was a slowdown at the roundabout but I was only held up by about 2 minutes. It could have been the time of day—I think it was around 12:45 pm.