Wykeham Grange Farm

There's a bunch of classic North York Moors spots close to base that definitely deserve a visit. Particularly recommended are Thornton Dale (15 minutes' drive) with its pretty village green and stream, Pickering (25 minutes), a market town home to the famed North York Moors Railway, and Rievaulx Abbey (50 minutes), a gorgeous 11th-century abbey in spectacular countryside surrounds. If more bracing outdoor activities are in order, you might like a high-altitude trip to Go Ape Dalby (25 minutes), watersports at North Yorkshire Water Park (10 minutes) or long-distance coastal walks between Scarborough (20 minutes) and Whitby (an hour). For something less physical, there's also the possibility of catching a race at Oliver's Mount (20 minutes) or genteel strolls in the well-kept grounds of Peasholm Park (15 minutes). When indoor attractions are the order of the day, perhaps see what's swimming at the Sea Life Centre (20 minutes), a popular aquarium in Scarborough that might come in handy on rainier days. Alternatively, you might like to sort a round or two of ten-pin bowling at Olympia Leisure (20 minutes), which is also in town.