nancdb

Hello, Four of us, two couples, are starting to plan a trip to the Yorkshire Dales in June 2004. We would like to stay in just one place if possible and take day trips from that one central place. We will be in the area for 7 days and will have a car. We definitely want to see the area where James Herriot lived and we really enjoy nature, history, castles. Does anyone have any suggestions as to towns to stay in or cottages. We will be flying from the states to London. How far away are the Yorkshire Dales from London. We are so excited about this trip. It will be a first for all of us to the area. We would be grateful for all sorts of travel suggestions pertaining to accomodations, restaurants, attractions, etc. Thank you!

Nancy

dutyfree

Nancy-our family did this trip many years ago but I will try and offer a few suggestions to you. We based ourselves in York(a fabulous city rich in history,great shopping with cheaper prices than London and central to other spots for using the train/bus if you are not renting a car).If you stay in York,you can easily do a daytrip to Thirsk where Herriot had his practice or to any of the other great cities around.(One of my greatest thrills in traveling was visiting Thirsk on a Friday when Herriot was still alive and still practiced and meeting with him in his office and having him sign a couple books-he would bring out a special box for his animal charities and if you contributed he would sign the books!)Another one of the places that our family enjoyed for scenery,history and great seafood was on the coast just north up in Whitby.Dracula was written there and ruins of the castle still stand overlooking the sea-fabulous! The town is an old fishing village and there are quaint stores and wonderful places to eat.Another great spot and slightly surreal when others aren't around is the town of Ripon/ Ripon's Abbey. It has quite a few ruins and the surrounding area is beautiful to walk and explore.Actually most of the towns up in that area are wonderful to explore and enjoy-the people are delightful and the pubs are great for savoring their way of life. I have always enjoyed York as there is so much to see and do there-as corny as it sounds...do take some time and walk on the walls around York,take the York by night tour with the lanterns(great history lessons and fun),etc.It will take you about 4-5 hours I believe from London if you drive but there are quite a few trains everyday also. We stayed at a B and B that had a wonderful woman who ran it that offered numerous suggestions so that really helped us see a different perspective on the area. Enjoy!

Shanna

Hi Nancdb - when planning a trip to England earlier this year, I looked at Yorkshire. Years ago, I fell in love with the area through books based on Herriot's tales and told myself if I had the chance I'd stay in Richmond. After some searching, I found several places of varying costs in Richmond proper, from a pub with four rooms above, to elegant manor house. Richmond sits on the coast to coast hiking route and is surrounded by a great deal of wonderful scenery. The city itself is fairly small and old. My friend wasn't interested in a city, or visiting pubs so we shortened the trip to just London but I found farmhouses in the area and motor inns along the roads so you should have plenty of options. Unfortunately, I did those searches on a computer at a job where I no longer work, so I don't have the bookmarks. I started the search with Richmond, found lists of restaurants and lodging close by, then expanded the search to those towns and villages. Richmond is probably a day trip to Hadrian's wall -which is now open all the way. And it's not that far from the Lake District if you have a vehicle. Have fun - I envy you that trip! Someday . . . .

anonymouse

We spent some time in the Yorkshire Dales about six years and thoroughly enjoyed it. I actually preferred it to the Cotswolds. We took a train to Cambridge from London and rented a car there. It took us about three hours to reach Thirsk if I remember correctly. That is James Herriott's hometown and there is a museum in his old surgery there. You can find information on it if you search the internet. We stayed at a B&B that is not there anymore but I believe there are others in town. They have a driving tour brochure that you can get at the tourist info in Thirsk that leads you to many of the scenes you read about in his books. Also I recommend the book, "James Herriott's Yorkshire," if you haven't seen it. Enjoy the beautiful Dales!

flanneruk

If your only interest this trip is the Dales, you might find it easier to fly to Dublin, Paris or Amsterdam and then to Leeds or Manchester (or direct to M'cr): both within an hour's drive of the hills.

York (195 miles from the middle of London: two hours by train - at least one an hour, and often a lot more - or 3-5 hours boring drive)is one of Europe's greatest towns. Although it's fantastic, it is a bit of a pain to be based there if you really want to be in the Dales, as commuting to and from involves a lot of unexciting countryside first.

Richmond, Thirsk and Skipton are lovely smallish towns that really feel different. Personally I'd either stay in a hotel in one of these, or rent a cottage somewhere more remote (though remember, practically nowhere in England is more than a couple of miles from a pub: "remote" in British English means something different from what it means in most other countries). But under no circumstances would I miss at least a day in York. The Minster has just about the best stained glass, and almost certainly the most quirky guides, of any major English medieval church.

ben_haines_london

The local council has web pages at www.hambleton.gov.uk/hambleton/ herriot.nsf/pages/herriot.html/. A largher council, too, claims to be Herriott country: http://www.thirskonline.co.uk/. A bed and breakfast house has a page at www.highparadise.co.uk/attractions.html/.

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Patricia

Hi Nancy,
We have done the Yorkshire Dales twice and its gorgeous, did all the villages and towns associated with James Herriot. We stayed in the village of Healaugh which is nr. Reeth and is in Swaledale, scenery forever, plenty of pubs in Reeth for meals and small shops etc and Richmond only 7 miles away. We rented a cottage in Healaugh that had been converted from a barn, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large louge, sep dining, plenty of space for 2 couples and a lovely garden. I see it is on the web, type in Lockheather and you will find it, go through the owners who live in Southport, it will be cheaper. Good luck.

KidsToLondon

I can highly recommend staying at Rookhurst Hotel in Gayle, Hawes Yorkshire. Here is the website:

http://www.rookhurst.co.uk/accommodation.htm

Terrific place in the center of "Herriot Country" (and in the middle of "Wallace and Grommet" country too, if that means anything to you). Personable hosts, good food, if you care to have dinner there. Country house hotel located in a village, right on the Pennine Way long distance trail. Beautiful countryside, castles, etc. are all around.

You could take a train from London to York or Harrogate, or some other city nearer to the Dales and rent your car there. FYI York is about 2.5 hours by train from London. The city is worth a couple of days itself.

Hope this helps. We made this trip two years ago and really enjoyed it.

David White
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Morgana

Hi
I live in North Yorkshire so here's the insider's view.......
York would be a good place to stay, but consider staying in Harrogate. Harrogate has excellent shopping and a wonderful tearoom called Betty's that you must visit. Did you know that Herriott drove his wife into Harrogate on his afternoon off during his working week and they always had tea at Betty's. Harrogate has great choice of Hotels and Restaurants too. The Dales are a short car journey away.
If you want to stay somewhere right in the Dales then Pateley Bridge would be good but bear it mind this is a very rural area. Great if you like walking and beautiful scenery but not if you are after shops and culture. A car is vital.
Some 'insider' tips - I will give you rough details and you can investigate in detail if you wish through search engines.
1) The Yorke Arms at Ramsgill - fantatic food and beautiful countryside BUT remote.
2) The Sportmans Arms in Wath-in-Nidderdale - great food.
2) Bolton Abbey - the Devonshire Arms. Next to medieval ruined Abbey, stunning scenery, deep in the Dales. This Hotel has a very good reputation, but again it is rural.
3) Aysgarth Waterfalls - beauty spot, with great walks.
4) Askrigg - plenty of Herriott connections in this village. The TV series All Creatures .....was filmed here although it's quite a distance from Thirsk. Skeldale House is opposite the 13th century church.
5)Scar House Reservoir
6)Try www.sykescottages.co.uk for country cottages in the area.
If you want to get back to me about anything please feel free. I go walking in the Dales each weekend (to blow away the cobwebs) and would be happy to provide you with walking routes etc if you wish to do this.
M

Morgana

I meant to add - Herriot DIDN'T live or work in the Yorkshire Dales - poetic licence was taken with the filming of the programmes. Thirsk isn't in the Dales and is actually on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, a completely separate area. However, the Dales are very scenic, full of picturesque villages etc and that's why they used them for the programmes!

BrimhamRocks

I also live in North Yorkshire, near Harrogate. I agree with Morgana that you should consider using Harrogate as your base from which to explore the Dales and surrounding areas.

One neat fact about Harrogate...

In 1926, the mystery writer Agatha Christie disappeared from her home for 11 days. Rewards were offered for information on her whereabouts, and for a short while, Agatha's husband was even suspected of murdering her. However, she was discovered in a spa hotel in Harrogate, and the claim was made that she was suffering from amnesia. Theories abound about those unaccounted-for 11 days; however no truly satisfying explanation has ever been offered.

Morgana

Brimham is spot on with his Agatha stuff. That Spa Hotel originated the first 'murder mystery' weekends that sprang up over the Emgland during the last years. However - don't bother to stay in that particular Hotel as its reputation has faded and I hear poor reports (I live in Harrogate!).

KidsToLondon

Morgana's spot on about Betty's for tea, sweets, etc. By the way, those "fat rascals" have a branch in York too.

BrimhamRocks

Nice to 'meet' someone who lives so close, Morgana! My husband and I have really enjoyed living in North Yorkshire, and when we host family from the States, they are always impressed by the beauty and the history of the area.

kay6213132

Hi! We travel to Yorkshire every spring. The first trip was for the purpose of taking our mother to see Herriot country and we fell in love with the dales! We always stay at Castle Bolton in Wensleydale. It's central and close to Leyburn for shopping. We usually travel to a different dale every day for our hiking. Favorites for hiking are Swaledale and Littondale.

kay6213132

also...since you will have a car I'd like to mention my favorite drive! From Grinton in Swaledale there is a small road that leads west out of town on the south side of the river. The views are spectacular, we always take a lunch and stop a few times to snack & listen to the sheep noises that drift up from the river. The drive ends in Askrigg.