YHA Helmsley

It’d be easy (if perhaps a little muscle-testing) to spend many a day or week scampering about in the North York Moors National Park. There are walking trails aplenty, including easygoing circular ones and long-distance hikes on the 109 miles of the Cleveland Way, plus daredevil mountain bike routes and a Go Ape adventure course at Dalby Forest (half an hour’s drive), horse riding days from Hawnby (10 minutes) and all sorts of other activities both gentle and challenging. For a bit of a break, take to one of the area’s historic sights: Helmsley Castle is a 10-minute walk away, or you could drive to the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey (five minutes) or the still thankfully intact Castle Howard (25 minutes). For an even heftier dose of history, the gorgeous old streets of York are about 45 minutes away. It’s also a cinch to swap country air for coast here: follow the main road out of Helmsley and you’ll hit the seaside resort of Scarborough in a little less than an hour. If that’s a tad too far for a family day out, head instead for the zoo and theme park at Flamingo Land (25 minutes).