Anyone who knows me well will know that I am big fan of planning my holidays and trips away. I can spend hours meticulously researching where to stay, where to eat, what not to miss, the best modes of transport etc... as much as it's exciting to do this, it can all be a bit taxing on the old grey matter.
I really needed a break from any form of excessive planning so, for this summer's getaway, my fiancé and I decided on an itinerary-free road trip around the North York Moors. We had a window of about four days but set off with a 'let's go where the wind takes us' mentality.
We ended up doing a three-day exploration of the moor and coastal towns and villages of the North York Moors areas, covering Staithes, Danby, Robin Hood's Bay, Hole of Horcum, Pickering, Hartoft End, Hutton-le-Hole, Blakey Ridge, Goathland, Falling Foss and Whitby, and lots of lovely postcard-pretty villages, winding fern-lined roads and 1:3 banks in between!
This beautiful part of the country is practically on our doorstep, and throughout the whole journey we were never more than an hour and a half drive away from home. We searched for local hotels using the usual accommodation search engines but just rocked up to see what rates were available.
We used Ordnance Survey Landranger map reference 94 which was indispensable. And yes, on the picture above you'll spot some page markers, so I guess I wasn't completely plan-free....
STAITHES
Our first day of the road trip started late afternoon, so we only had a few hours but this was more than enough at this time of day when many of the little shops were closed. We descended the hill to the sea-front and walked along the small cove - cocooned by Cowbar and Penny nabs - where cobles bobbed gently with the tide.
It was about time for a shandy, and we stopped at the Cod & Lobster pub, right on the harbour front, before heading back up the car.
DANBY
On the way out of the car park we managed to find some 4G signal to find somewhere to stay, and came across the Duke of Wellington in nearby Danby. After a quick stop at the top of the bank to photograph the beautiful scenery, within about thirty minutes we were checked into our room, changed and sitting at an outside table sipping a rose (for me) and a pint of Headland Red (for him) in the blazing sunshine.
We had a truly delicious meal (whitebait, mussels, lamp chops, an amazing corned beef hash topped with fried eggs, and a chocolate fudge cake) and sat out until the sun dipped down behind the wolds.
Our room, Farndale, was lovely, with low ceilings, beams and some nice touches such as a stack of House & Antiques magazine to flick through with a cuppa.
Behind the pub we found the Stonehouse Bakery, where we stocked up on treats for the next leg of our journey...
Can you spot me?
The next instalment will cover Robin Hood's Bay, the Hole of Horcum, Pickering and Hartoft End.