Bilton Hall Farm Fields

Bikes and/or boots should certainly feature on packing lists for this place, as there’s much within walking/cycling distance. Start with a stroll/cycle to Knaresborough (10 minutes by bike) to visit the castle and the cluster of cave attractions: Mother Shipton’s Cave, the Petrifying Well (petrifying as in turning to stone, not scary…) and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Crag are all worth a stop. Those wheels or walking shoes will come in handy again for those making the half-hour drive to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where many miles of trail unfold in front of folk in search of a good long stretch of the legs. All this activity makes a fine excuse to stop off in Harrogate (15 minutes by bike) for a top-notch slab of something sweet at Betty’s tea rooms; while in town, check out the Royal Pump Rooms and Valley Gardens before pedalling over to the RHS Harlow Carr gardens (25 minutes) – which just happens to have another outpost of Betty’s for refuelling in.