Anne Lister

The story of Anne Lister is one that grabs you - a woman whose coded diaries revealed a life lived in defiance of her era. You won't find a visitor centre or gift shop here. This is about following the real locations around York where she lived and loved, particularly Shibden Hall, the estate that became famous through the BBC series. Walking these grounds, you're standing where Anne actually stood, where she recorded her intimate thoughts in those cryptic diaries written between 1817 and 1840. The hall itself is magnificent - a seventeenth-century farmhouse with period rooms that feel genuinely lived in, not sterile. You can see the parlour where she sat, the gardens she tended.

History buffs and anyone curious about LGBTQ+ stories will find this absolutely worthwhile. The diaries are extraordinary historical documents, and the series has done a decent job bringing her world to life, though the real thing - walking the actual spaces - carries more weight. You'll need a good few hours to do Shibden Hall properly, maybe three or four if you're thorough.

York itself is just three miles away, making this a natural fit if you're based at Nurseries Caravan Park or Wagtail Park nearby. It's free to wander the grounds, though the hall itself requires admission. Spring and early summer are lovely for visiting - the gardens are worth seeing properly, and the light in those old rooms is better then. Go on a weekday if possible; weekends get busy with coach groups.