Danby Castle

We stumbled across a short walk in Danby that takes you from the visitor centre, past the castle and back to where you started. Danby Castle, now a wedding venue, was built in the 14^th century.

It’s a lovely scenic route, crossing rivers and railway lines with the odd cow crossing your path. Once we reached the castle, we stopped to say hello to some cows take in the picturesque views and get a few photos before heading back through the fields.

Whitby

Whitby is a seaside town in North Yorkshire and is always popular with tourists due to its maritime history and association with Captain Cook (and also Dracula).

Places to visit:

Whitby Harbour + Beach

The Harbour is surrounded by lots of little shops selling everything from doughnuts to jet. The black jet is found in the cliffs and was especially popular during the Victorian era. There's also the kipper shop further up the hill and the swing bridge, which is always fun to watch raise up. We had dinner just across the bridge at Hadley’s Fish restaurant. There’s also the Magpie, which is always popular, and Trenchers in the harbour.

199 steps

There are 199 steps leading up to the church and Abbey and once you’ve climbed them you can see over the harbour and the cottages below.

Whitby Abbey (+ church)

Once you've made it up the steps, you can go inside the Abbey (it's run by the English Heritage) and the church is free to visit. The Abbey was established in the 7^th century and is now a grade 1 listed building. Dracula’s grave is said to be in the churchyard.

The Whale Bones

You can't really miss them. The whale bones are huge and are at the top of the hill.

Boat Ride

We took a boat ride out to sea and although it was a bit of a bumpy ride, you get to see Whitby and the Abbey from a different angle.

Mount Grace Priory

Mount Grace Priory is a priory in North Yorkshire near Osmotherley and was built over 600 years ago in 1398. When we first arrived, we explored the gardens which stretch down to a lake at the far side. There were lots of sky blue dragonflies flying about near the water. As well as looking around outside at the ruins of the priory, you can step inside where there is lots of information about how the Priory once was.

The priory is maintained by the English Heritage and admission into the grounds is £10, with members and National Trust members able to visit for free.

Bolton Abbey

We visited Bolton Abbey the other week. It’s just outside of Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales. Most of the abbey is still standing, and the main arch is quite impressive. It takes its name from the ruins of the 12th-century Augustinian monastery, which is now known as Bolton Priory and was closed in 1539.

To cross the river, there’s a bridge, or you can brave the stepping stones (which I didn’t.) The walk round ended up being about 7 miles, which was quite long, especially with the shoes I was wearing, because there was only one other bridge back across until the end once you started walking.

Castle Howard

Castle Howard is a stately home near York in North Yorkshire. It boasts a large walled garden as well as acres of land and woodland that you can walk around. We headed round the gardens first, my favourite part being when I found some sky-blue flowers to match my outfit.

After you’ve wandered through the gardens, two things to look out for are the fountain in front of the house and the temple of Venus which is now a ruin.

Lake District | Orrest Head

On our final day in the Lake District, we went on a walk that was recommended to us – Orrest Head in Windermere.  The walk up to the top was about a mile from Windermere and about 3 miles in total, so not too far. The walk starts at Windermere Station and is quite easy to find as it’s well-signposted. 

It was a bit of a climb to get to the top. The summit is 784 feet above sea level, but definitely worth it for the amazing view. From the top of Orrest Head, you get a brilliant view of the Lakes and are able to see other fells including the Old Man of Coniston and Scafell Pike in the distance.