A fantastic place for anyone who likes the outdoors. There are some pretty walks -- long, short,…read moreeasy, difficult, take your pick -- and a pleasant scenic drive if you prefer to stay in the car. The playgrounds for the kids are excellent too, with plenty of different activities to get stuck into. There are some bike rides and what seems to be an excellent 'Go Ape' activity, too but I can't comment on these, not having done any myself. The newly-built Visitors' Centre is great -- both the information inside and the building itself are interesting and well worth the time. All in all, a great place to visit.

Dalby Forest is an absolutely stunning place to visit with activities ranging from zip-wiring…read moreacross huge valleys to having a lazy BBQ on the lawn. There are many miles of walks and mountain bike trails you can enjoy, and you can hire bikes from the visitor center. There are children's play areas and areas where you can have a BBQ, as well as streams to paddle in, forests to get lost in, and trails to cycle. There is so much to do you can spend a whole day enjoying the forest and still not sample everything there is. There is a charge to enter the forest, but parking is free after.

You can get into Forge Valley from Ayton or from Scalby Road past Raincliffe woods. The Derwent…read moreruns through this nature resrve and there is woodland on both sides of the river. We used to pick primroses on Good Friday when i was a child ,we didn't know about conservation and all we would lose.There is so much here_ loads of different plants and trees and work goes on to make sure it continues. It has loads of lovely walks and there is geology trail. Kids love to go over the wooden bridge and along the boardwalks. It would take a lot of walking to say you had walked every path.No boredom!

This is owned by Yorkshire wildlife trust and mainained by them and volunteers. It used to be a…read morequarry and is a great place for lots of different people. There is two lakes and its lovely to sit on a sunny afternoon watching the dragonflies and surrounded by trees and flowers. There are different areas so kids feel as if they exploring up and little slopes etc.Its near a bypass, the railway lines, a pub and supermarket among other things and yet feels isolated and tranquil. In the Spring frogs abound and every season has its own special stuff.Its a real treat after a supermarket trip especially if you take some refreshments to sit and enjoy.

One thing I've learned about the English is how much they love a good long walk in the countryside…read more(we Americans might call it a hike), and this cliffside walk from Whitby to Robin Hoods Bay is one of my favourites. If you are in good shape with hiking boots and you're not afraid of a little mud you should be able to complete the trail within 3 hours. The views are stunning the entire way - deep cliffs to the ocean on one side, sheep grazing land on the other - so bring a camera. You also might want to pack some snacks and water so you don't arrive completely knackered. However, the many pubs and cafes in Robin Hoods Bay will satisfy (and won't mind your muddy boots). Once you've finished exploring Robin Hood's Bay, I recommend taking the 93 bus back to Whitby, which you catch near the corner of Thorpe Ln and Station Rd. It's worth checking the schedule because the bus only comes once and hour (there is also info about taxi service at the bus stop). (It's a little tricky to find the trailhead in Whitby because of the receding coastline. It's currently just after the farmhouse on the left as you away from Whitby Abbey.)

Simply stunning, make sure you are in good shape for a hearty walk. Take your camera.read more

My wife and I visited Danby Lodge in September 2024 on a day trip driving around the North York…read moreMoors. Luckily we had great weather to enjoy all the fresh air and outdoors had to offer. There are lots of activities to enjoy around the site of this former hunting lodge to Danby Castle. There is a nice short walking trail that takes you around the grounds with several attractions along the way. The Danby Den playground is excellent and novel. The water bailiff audio guide was an interesting take. The dragon. The mud kitchen. The zip line. All excellent fun for the young ones. We crossed the river Esk and walked up to Danby Castle. A lovely stroll across the moors without being too long or strenuous.  Crow Wood is adjacent to the parking lot and has the bird watching hut and a few other notable attractions around the loop. There is a cafe serving hot drinks and snacks that was most welcome. In the same area there is an interactive nature exhibit intended for kids to learn about the environment. Its all really well done and we wished we had come here when our lad were a nipper. Entry is free but paring has a small fee. Parking lot is pretty big and we had no problem finding a spot. It was an off-season weekday and was pretty quiet. I can imagine summer weekends this place would be teeming with families. Great fun and highly recommended if you are in the area.

Of the seaside towns on the yorkshire coast this is my favourite, overlooked by grand Georgian…read moreterraces the seafront is well kept and charming rather than tacky. Usual seafood and old scool coffee shops, the beach itself is broad and usually quiet with a great walk out onto a spit of land to the north where you can stand infront of crashing waves. Walk across the clifftops and look north to scarborough without actually having to go there... Fish and chips and a beer in the town after are mandatory and not to be missed.

Absolutely amazing fun! The exhileration and the adrenaline rush you get from completing the…read moreassault course high up in the trees abouve dalby forest is amazing. You start on easy assault course type things, lower down in the trees and move onto more challenging ones later. There are 6 sections altogether and you can drop out after completing any section. It sounds scary, but it's really not as you feel completely safe. The zipwires are the most fun things ever. It's quite pricey at £25 for an adult, but you pay for the experience. All people under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

This is a must to see given the history of the town and they are very friendly..willing to tell…read moreexciting sea tales to youngsters :) Whitby Lifeboat Museum (RNLI) The lifeboat museum on Pier Road, Whitby has as its main exhibit the last pulling lifeboat to be in service with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), plus models of lifeboats and other types of vessel, diorama of 'Rohilla' wreck and local history of the Whitby lifeboat station. The tale is toldof bravery and sacrifice Rohilla, a 7,400 ton hospital ship with 229 crew and medical staff aboard. On the morning of October 30th 1914, she ran onto a reef near Whitby in an ESE gale, breaking in half in the mountainous seas. The lifeboat reached the wreck twice after a fearful struggle, and took off 37 survivors, but could not return a third time as the rocks had taken their toll on the lifeboat.At 1.00 am on Sunday the lifeboat was in Whitby harbour, and four hours later set out for the wreck A rope was let down to the lifeboat, and figures scrambled down. In less than a quarter of an hour more than forty men had been taken into the lifeboat. It was then that two enormous waves were seen rolling up at tremendous speed. They swept over Rohilla onto the lifeboat, enveloping it. Each time the tough little craft disappeared for a moment, reappeared, tottered, and righted herself gamely. Closer still she hugged the vessel's side till every man aboard - fifty of them in all - had been hauled into the rescuing boat. The rescuers, for their heroism, were awarded three gold and four silver medals. But the peril was not yet over ; as the lifeboat shot passed the wreck on her return journey she was struck broadside on by a great wave;but once more she manfully withstood the shock, and swept out to sea. The Whitby pulling lifeboat putting out to help a fishing boat. The pulling lifeboat remained in service at Whitby until 1957. Because the ship was only four hundred yards from the shore some of the crew attempted to make their own way to landfall but sadly even with the efforts of the lifeboat crews 84 members of the ship's compliment perished out of a total of 229. Free but leave a donation..they deserve itwe cry out to Thee for those in Peril on the Sea!

Anyone from this seafaring nation of ours cannot fail to be touched by some of these stories. That…read morethe RNLI still needs to be funded by charitable donations is a sad indictment on how low our Government values the wonderful service performed by these true heroes. The Whitby museum is well worth a 100 mile drive, but I urge you to visist ALL our RNLI museums, all run by volunteers. And please do give freely