About this book

Yorkshire resident, outdoors enthusiast and travel writer Mike Bagshaw has thoroughly updated this new third edition of Bradt’s North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds, part of Bradt’s award-winning series of Slow travel series of guides to UK regions. It remains the only standalone guide to this region of contrasts. Walkers, cyclists, wildlife-lovers, families, foodies and culture vultures will find everything they need to plan and enjoy time here.

From magnificent cliffs and beaches along Yorkshire’s Heritage Coast and rolling hills in the North York Moors (one of the original nine National Parks of England and Wales) to the Wolds’ tranquil chalk grasslands, this region offers remarkable variety. Nestled at its heart is York, probably Britain’s best-preserved medieval city, with its stunning Minster, northern Europe’s largest Gothic cathedral.

The region is increasingly popular for outdoors pursuits, which feature strongly in this guide. The Tour de Yorkshire cycle race has helped establish the region as a cycling Mecca. Walkers can explore along ten long-distance footpaths. Sandy beaches, rocky coves, stunning woodlands and heather-clad moors make the destination ideal for families keen to immerse children in nature. Whitby has become a nationally acclaimed centre for whale- and dolphin-watching tours, while wildlife-lovers can also delight in otters and adders, or gawp at ‘seabird skyscrapers’ at Bempton Cliffs, including England’s only breeding colony of gannets, Europe’s largest seabird).

This culturally resonant region harbours treats as diverse as steam train journeys across remote moorland (as featured in the Harry Potter and Mission Impossible films), local food and drink (from seafood, meats and cheeses to independent breweries and gastropubs), the Georgian opulence of Castle Howard (of Brideshead Revisited fame), the Goth Weekend festival at Whitby (where Count Dracula made landfall in Bram Stoker’s novel), Britain’s oldest seaside resort (Scarborough), the country’s tallest standing stone (Rudston) and even the purported burial site of Beowulf (Boulby Cliffs).

With coverage of places not featured in other guidebooks and extensive practical detail conveyed in an informative yet laidback style, plus an emphasis on car-free travel, Bradt’s North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds is the optimal guide to this fascinating region.

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About the Author

On leaving his Lancashire school, Mike Bagshaw moved to the rival county of Yorkshire (missionary work was his excuse at the time) and loved it so much that he has lived there ever since – 35 years and counting. After studying zoology and training as a teacher, he spent almost all his entire working career in an outdoor-education centre in North Yorkshire.
Although officially retired, Bagshaw continues to explore Yorkshire’s nooks and crannies by bicycle, canoe and on foot. With a keen interest the region’s wildlife, landscapes, crafts, architecture, local history, folklore and pubs, and a home base in Whitby, he is well placed to paint a personal picture of special places. As well as authoring Yorkshire Dales, a sister title in Bradt’s Slow travel series, Bagshaw writes nature columns for local newspapers and magazines, and volunteers for the North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

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