Pickering

Steam trains pull into the station with proper old-fashioned puffs of smoke, announcing your arrival in what feels like Yorkshire's gateway to adventure. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway isn't just a tourist attraction - it's how this market town earned its stripes as the southern terminus of one of Britain's most beloved heritage lines.

Pickering sits in that sweet spot where the Vale of Pickering meets the North York Moors, making it feel both cosy and wild. The town centre has that lived-in quality you only get in proper working places. Beck Isle Museum tells the local story well, housed in a building that's seen centuries of Yorkshire life unfold.

Wander down to the Church of St Peter and St Paul and you'll understand why this spot mattered long before the railway arrived. The Norman castle ruins looming above town remind you this was once a royal hunting lodge - William the Conqueror knew a good base when he saw one.

From here, the moors stretch endlessly northward. Heather-covered hills roll away to Goathland and beyond, while south lies gentler farmland dotted with stone villages. It's brilliant walking country, whether you fancy a gentle stroll along old railway lines or something more challenging up on the moors proper.

The A170 brings you straight here from York in about 45 minutes, though the steam train journey from Whitby is far more atmospheric. Several caravan parks and glamping sites ring the town, putting you within easy reach of both the coast and the moors. Yorkshire Burrows and the various sites around Cliff Farm offer different takes on outdoor stays, all well-placed for exploring this corner of North Yorkshire without the fuss of daily drives to different bases.