Deepdale Farm

Deepdale Farm is gateway to family walks or harder, steeper hikes in the North York Moors National Park (five minutes’ drive), while riders of all levels can see the countryside on horseback (10 minutes). Anyone keen for a round of golf can find a couple of courses within half an hour. Kids will be happy to hear that visits to the Gruffalo orienteering trail, mountain-biking and Segway tracks in Dalby Forest (40 minutes), or the rollercoasters, gentle family rides and animal experiences at Flamingo Land Resort (20 minutes) are on the cards. There are tempting Belgian chocolate treats at The Chocolate Factory in pretty Hutton-le-Hole (10 minutes), which is loaded up with ice-cream shops too. Climb aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Pickering (15 minutes, it’s best to book ahead) for a scenic chug across the moors to seaside Whitby (45 minutes), where you can take coastal cruises to (hopefully) spot dolphins in the North Sea, clamber up to the hilltop abbey looking for vampires or go scrounging for jet on West Cliff Beach.