Whitby
Whitby is an absolutely delightful seaside town on the North Yorkshire coast, most famous for its abbey ruins, connections to Dracula, and Captain James Cook. At least, those are the things I know it best for. My first introduction to the town of Whitby was in the pages of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Bluebells
As the winter months inched toward spring, I noticed the people around me keeping time with the season by the flowers that slowly appeared, and they taught me to do the same. In February I saw my first snowdrop. By March the crocuses were popping up all golden and purple. The daffodils arrived in April, and the golden rapeseed fields were glowing in the sun by May. June brought buttercups and wild garlic, along with primroses in the hedges. I became so in tune with the rhythm of the flowers during my three years in North Yorkshire. But somehow, during that first spring, I missed out on hearing about the bluebells.
Burnsall, North Yorkshire
Season 3 of All Creatures Great and Small is airing in the United States now, and when I saw that the wedding was filmed at the church in Burnsall, it took me back to January 2016 and the rainiest two weeks of our sojourn in North Yorkshire. Gone was the drizzle and mizzle. Here to stay was a settled downpour that just wouldn’t end.
Sutton Bank on a Summer’s Night
James Herriot once said that the view from Sutton Bank is the finest in England, and it is hard to disagree with his assessment. Summer days are long in North Yorkshire, and when the sun is shining carpe diem is the order of the day, so one night after dinner my family and I decided to seize the golden hour and drive up to the top of Sutton Bank for a walk and to enjoy the view.
Goathland Station
Goathland Train Station is on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway line and is featured in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone as Hogsmeade Station, the end of the line for the Hogwarts Express. It is as charming as its sister station, Grosmont, though it is smaller.
Grosmont Station
If you are visiting Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast, the nearby village of Grosmont is also worth a visit. You can easily drive or take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train April through October.
North Yorkshire Coast
I’ve been reading The Moonstone* by Wilkie Collins with my book club the past couple of weeks, and I wasn’t aware until I started reading that it begins in Yorkshire at a house on the coast. Collins doesn’t give a specific location to the house, but I went digging through my digital trove of pictures from around the North Yorkshire coast for pictures that conjured up the atmosphere of The Moonstone to me.
Ripley Castle Deer Park
Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire has been home to the Ingilby family for over 700 years, and according to a sign on the property, the fallow deer have been grazing here for perhaps even longer!
Robin Hood’s Bay
Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Yorkshire Coast is a small fishing village with a large sandy beach, winding cobblestoned streets, and clifftop views that can’t be beat on a sunny day.
The Devil’s Arrows
Just on the outskirts of Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire are three standing stones known as the Devil’s Arrows. Two stand in the middle of a field where wheat and barley grow in alternating years, while one stands across the road leading to Roecliffe in a small enclosure. The stones are thought to have been erected around 2700 B.C., which absolutely boggles the mind.
Sherlock’s Coffee Shop
Inside, the restaurant is warm and inviting, decorated in an appropriate late 19th-century style.
Fountains Abbey in the Snow
If you look it up on Wikipedia as my husband and I did on our first visit, you’ll find the abbey has a very storied beginning: it was founded by a group of monks who were kicked out of the Benedictine House of St. Mary’s Abbey in York after a riot there.
The Little Miracle
I was extremely expectant about my first spring in North Yorkshire because I couldn’t wait to take pictures of the lambs.
The World of James Herriot
Visiting The World of James Herriot in Thirsk is truly like stepping into the pages of All Creatures Great and Small, minus the dogs jumping all over you at the door.
North Yorkshire: Beginnings
And then, there came the fateful day I picked up a copy of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small…